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RECAP 


FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 


WILLIAM   DUNCAN   McKIM 

GRADUATE   OF 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 

A.  B.,  1875;  A.  M.,  1878;  M.  D.,  1878 


i^piy^a 


Mli 


College  of  ^^psiiciang  anti  ^urgeonsi 


Hifararp 


/' ' 


MY  BREATHING  SYSTEM 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/mybreathingsysteOOml 


LIEUTENANT  J.  P.  MULLEE 


MY  BREATHING 
SYSTEM 


BY 

LIEUT.  J.  P.  MULLER 

(lieutenant    royal   DANISH    ENGINEERS). 

AUTHOR   OF 

"my    SYSTEM,"    "my    SYSTEM   FOR   LADIES,"    "  MY    SYSTEM    FOR    CHILDREN," 

"the    fresh    AIR    BOOK,"    ETC. 


WITH  56  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


ONE  DOLLAR  NET. 


PHILADELPHIA 
DAVID  McKAY,  PUBLISHER 

604-608  South  Washington  Square 


Mil 


Copyright,  1914,  in  the  United  States  of  America  hy  Ewari,  Seymour  &  Co.,  Ltd. 


THE   AUTHOR'S   PREFACE. 

It  may  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  some  that  I  should  add  yet  another 
volume  to  the  already  lengthy  catalogue  of  booklets  on  "The  Art  of  Breath- 
ing. "  In  justification  I  must  state  that  my  fijrst  reason  is,  that  I  have  hith- 
erto found  all  such  works  to  be  too  much  of  the  nature  of  text-books  on  the 
so-caUed  "  art " ;  hence  it  is  now  my  ambition  to  bring  forward  the  common- 
sense  book  on  breathing. 

And  my  second  reason  is  that,  notwithstanding  the  scores  of  older 
books  on  breathing,  we  still  meet  thousands  of  persons  who  are  unable 
to  breathe  properly — not  only  children  and  women,  but  even  sportsmen, 
singers  and  scientific  men.  And  thousands  and  thousands  still  die  of 
consumption,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  this  could  be  prevented  merely 
by  teaching  the  children  proper  breathing.  There  is,  therefore,  stiU  much 
to  be  done  in  this  direction. 

If  my  booklet  contains  some  repetitions,  they  are  only  those  which 
are  intentional  and  such  as  are  always  allowed  in  conveying  important 
advice. 

I  have  done  my  best  to  write  it  in  the  same  simple  style  which  has  made 
my  former  books  so  popular  amongst  the  general  public.  I  must  admit, 
however,  that  I  fear  I  may  have  failed  in  this  respect  in  the  chapter  con- 
cerning the  diaphragm,  which  contains  much  professional  technicahty  of 
language.  My  only  excuse  for  this  is  that,  during  my  studies  and  prac- 
tical investigations,  it  struck  me  that  many  of  the  theories  of  science  on  that 
subject  were  erroneous,  and  I  succumbed  to  the  temptation  of  proving 
this  to  be  the  case.  It  has  always  been  my  habit  to  see  with  my  own  eyes 
and  think  with  my  own  brain,  instead  of  trusting  to  a  long  succession  of 
authorities,  each  of  whom  has  quoted  from  his  predecessor,  whilst  the  orig- 
inal one  may  have  been  vmworthy  of  credit. 

This  book  has  not  been  translated  from  the  Danish,  but  has  been 
written  by  myself  in  the  Enghsh  language.  It  is  harclly  necessary  to  say 
that  the  diction  has  been  corrected  and  improved  by  my  good  friends,  Mr. 
Ernest  Gimton  and  Mr.  H.  R.  Murray,  to  whom  my  Publishers  entrusted 
this  work.  I  take  this  opportunity  of  tendering  to  them  my  most  cordial 
thanks. 

J.  P.  MULLER. 
45,  Dover  Street, 

Piccadilly,  W. 
April,  1914. 


CONTENTS. 

The  Author's  Preface 


PART  I. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    What  Deep-breathing  Exercises  are,  why  we  should  perform  them, 

and  how ii 

Is  " Natural "  Breathing  always  Correct  Breathing  ? ii 

The  Evils  of  Short  and  ShaUow  Breathing         .         .         .         .         .         .         ,         .12 

Deep-Breathing  must  be  Taught       .         .  .        .         .         .         .         .         .         .12 

How  the  average  Athlete  and  Oarsman  strain  Heart  and  Lungs         .         .        .         -13 
Why  Deep-breathing  Exercises  have  latterly  fallen  into  Discredit     ....       14 

Should  the  Breath  ever  be  held  after  a  Deep  Inhalation  ?  .....       16 

The  Importance  of  Physical  Exercise  immediately  before  Deep-breathing.         .         .       16 
The  Importance  of  Slow  Exhalation.         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .17 

Why  should  we  Breathe  through  the  Nose  ?........       18 

Why  is  it  generally  Wrong  to  Exhale  through  the  Mouth,  after  Nasal  Inhalation?   .       22 

Shut  Your  Mouth !  .         .         .  24 

Laughter — a  Healthy  Method  of  Exhaling 25 

II.  The  Machinery  of  the  Breathing  Apparatus 26 

What  constitutes  a  Respiration  ?..........       26 

How  to  Expand  and  Contract  the  Thorax  to  its  fullest  Extent 28 

Which  of  these  Six  Different  Expansions  are  the  most  effectual  in  promoting  Free 

Access  of  Air  to  the  Lungs  ?       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .32 

Is  it  ever  Reasonable  to  Perform  an  Incomplete  Breath  ?  .         .         .         .         .32 

The  Secret  of  the  Diaphragm   .  ..........      34 

Dr.  J.  F.  Halls  Dally  on  the  Diaphragm 37 

My  own  Theories  about  the  Diaphragm 38  • 

III.  The  Various  Methods  of  taking  a  Complete  Breath         .        .        .43 

Which  is  the  Best  Form  of  Breathing  ?.........  43 

Description  of  my  Ordinary  Complete    Breath   (or,  the  Relieving  Deep-breathing 

Exercise)  .  .............  43 

The  Hindu- Yogi  Breathing       ...........  48 

Dr.  Halls  Daily's  "FuU  Cycle  of  Complete  Respiration" 49 

The  Great  Mistake  of  Swedish  Gymnastics       ........  50 

How  the  Heart  is  often  Injured 52 


PART  II. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     My  Five  Minutes'  Breathing  System 57 

Why  is  it  not  good  always  to  maintain  the  same  position  during  Deep-Breathing  ?      58 

At  what  Time  of  Day  shoiild  we  Perform  this  Little  System  ? 58 

Hints  to  Beginners  .         .       ■  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -58 

Exercise  No.  i ..............      60 

The  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise 60 

Exercise  No.  2.         .......,.,,..      62 

Exercise  No.  3 .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .63 

E.xercise  No.  4.         .............      66 

E-xercise  No.  5 68 

Exercise  No.  6.         .............      70 

E.xercise  No.  7.         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .72 

Exercise  No.  8.         .............       74 

Exercise  No.  9.         .............      76 

Prevention  is  better  than  Cure  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -76 

n.     Which  Aihnents  can  be  cured  by  Deep-Breathing  Exercises  ?     .        .79 

PART  III. 

I.    Hints  for  Athletes 81 

For  Sprinters   ..............  8i 

For  Middle-Distance  Runners 8i 

For  Long-Distance  Runners  and  Quick -Walkers 82 

For  Speed-Skaters    .          ............  82 

For  Boxers  and  Wrestlers 82 

For  Swimmers.  .         . .85 

For  Oarsmen  and  Scullers 86 

II.     Hints  for  Singers  and  Speakers 95 


MY  BREATHING  SYSTEM 

PART   I. 

CHAPTER  I. 

WHAT  DEEP-BREATHING  EXERCISES  ARE, 
WHY  WE  SHOULD  PERFORM  THEM, 
AND  HOW* 

Everybody  knows  that  without  air  we  should  be  unable  to  exist  more 
than  a  few  minutes,  but  that  it  is  possible  to  exist  for  at  least  a  week  with- 
out water,  while  people  have  fasted  from  food  for  from  forty  to  seventy 
days  and  even  longer.  Air  is  a  nutriment,  therefore,  of  even  more  impor- 
tance than  Liquid  and  sohd  foods;  yet  it  is  remarkable  that  the  majority  of 
people  devote  so  much  consideration  to  what  they  eat  and  drink  and  so 
Little  to  what  or  how  they  breathe. 

The  element  contained  in  the  air  we  breathe  which  is  of  prime  necessity 
to  our  existence  is  oxygen.  Protoplasm,  which  is  the  physical  basis  of  Hfe, 
the  substance  of  which  all  the  cells  which  form  the  body  are  composed,  is 
continually  imdergoing  chemical  change,  which  change  of  matter  is  known 
as  metabolism — complex  substances  are  built  up  from  simple  ones,  which 
are  in  turn  broken  up ;  the  chemical  energy  of  the  food  brought  to  the  cells 
is  transformed  into  the  energy  of  motion,  heat,  etc.  Without  oxygen,  pro- 
toplasm cannot  exist;  and  an  insufficient  supply  hinders  metabolism. 
Once  this  is  understood,  the  reason  why  metabohc  diseases  (gout,  rheu- 
matism, obesity,  anaemia,  chlorosis,  jaundice,  diabetes)  are  so  common  is 
evident. 

How  then  can  we  inflate  the  lungs  to  their  utmost  capacity?  Only  by 
exercise,  and  by  learning,  during  such  exercise,  to  breathe  deeply  and  in  a 
correct  manner.  Of  course  everybody  does  breathe  after  a  fashion,  other- 
wise hfe  would  be  but  a  matter  of  a  very  few  minutes.  But  few  understand 
how  to  breathe  correctly.  We  sometimes  meet  a  person  who  inhales  very 
well,  but  correct  exhalation  is  comparatively  rarely  to  be  found. 

Is  ^'Nattirar'  Breathing  always  Correct  Breathing? 

I  have  often  read  in  books  on  "breathing"  that  babies  and  animals 
breathe  quite  correctly.     There  may  be  some  reason  in  using  the  term 


"correctly,"  because  it  is  natural  for  unintelligent  creatures  to  breathe 
in  such  a  manner,  but  a  baby's  breathing  is  very  short  and  superficial, 
consisting  of  42  to  45  respirations  in  a  minute,  even  when  lying  still.  And 
probably  everyone  has  obser^^ed  what  quick  and  short  breaths  the  average 
horse  takes  when  running;  that,  however,  means  an  overstraining,  and  a 
premature  wearing  out  of  the  whole  of  the  machinery.  And  the  average 
horse  is,  notoriously,  a  short-Hved  animal. 

The    Evils    of    Short    and    Shallow   Breathing, 

In  superficial  and  short  respiration  one  portion  of  the  lungs  is  used 
too  much,  and  thereby  overstrained,  whilst  another  part,  through  dis- 
use, by  degrees  loses  its  working  capacity.  But  the  destructive  effects 
of  short  respiration  are  not  hmited  to  the  lungs  alone.  They  affect  the 
whole  circulation,  and,  what  is  worst  of  all,  the  heart.  It  is  a  well  known 
fact  that  the  need  for  air  is  increased  by  hard  physical  work  or  exertion. 
It  is,  therefore,  obvious  that  the  breathings,  if  short,  must  be  more  rapid 
and  more  frequent  in  order  to  secure  a  sufficient  supply  of  air.  Scientists 
reckon  that  the  heart  has  a  tendency  to  beat  4  times  to  each  respiration. 
If,  then,  the  respirations  of  a  horse,  or  of  a  badly  trained  athlete,  reach  the 
niimber,  say,  of  140  per  minute — which  is  not  unusual — this  means  that  the 
heart  requires  to  beat  560  times!  But  this  is  an  impossibihty,  and  the  re- 
sult will  then  be  a  very  irregular  pulsation  of  the  heart,  the  one  beat  stumb- 
ling "on  the  heels"  of  the  other,  and  violent  palpitations.  Such  an  over- 
strained heart  could  never  last  long. 

Deep  Breathing  mast  be  Taught. 

We  cannot  teach  animals  to  breathe  deeply,  but  we  can  teach  the 
child  to  do  so,  httle  by  httle,  and  even  the  adult  himian  being,  who  possesses 
the  intelHgence  which  the  animal  lacks.  Then  by  degrees  it  will  become 
quite  natural  to  the  person  in  question  to  take  fuller  respirations.  Such 
education  in  breathing  means  increased  strength  and  vitaUty  of  all  parts  of 
the  body,  internal  and  external,  and  consequently  a  fuller  and  better  and 
longer  fife.  This  education  is  the  aim  of  all  so-called  deep  breathing  ex- 
ercises. In  my  first  book,  "My  System,  15  Minutes'  Work  a  Day  for 
Health's  Sake,"  I  conclude  the  chapter  ''For  those  devoted  to  Athletic  Sports" 
with  the  following  remarks: — 

"^Many  sportsmen,  also,  upset  their  hearts  because  they  take  no  care 
to  breathe  properly.  At  the  Olympic  Games  of  1906,  it  appeared  that 
nearly  all  the  participants,  excepting  the  Americans,  suffered  from  dilata- 
tion or  other  defects  of  the  heart.  Those  who  carry  out  My  System  accord- 
ing to  directions  will  acquire  the  good  habit  of  inhaling  and  exhahng  deeply, 
during  the  exercises  as  well  as  immediately  after  them.  The  reason  why  I 
have  been  able  to  take  part,  for  a  whole  generation,  in  many  and  various 
hard  and  often  protracted  contests,  without  inflicting  the  sHghtest  injury 
upon  my  heart,  is  because  I  have  always  from  childhood  paid  strict  atten- 
tion to  correct  respiration." 


13 


How  the  average  Athlete  and  Oarsman  strain  Heart 
and  Ltings* 

I  once  read  in  a  work  by  a  German  doctor,  Professor  Zuntz,  that  an 
adult  man  respires  i6  to  i8  times  per  minute.  I  believe  this  calculation  is 
quite  correct,  and  it  also  agrees  with  the  fact  that  the  average  number  of 
pulsations  of  the  heart  should  be  64  to  72  for  a  man  in  a  state  of  rest  (viz., 
4  X  16  to  4  X  18).     But  this  German  professor  proceeds  to  state  that  dur- 


FiG.  I. — A  Wrong  Method  of  Deep-breathing. 


ing  severe  exertion  this  number  of  respirations  would  be  multiplied  several 
times — for  instance,  during  ordinary  walking,  2  to  4  times;  while  cychng, 
mountaineering,  and  running,  9  to  13  times;  and  while  rowing  the  course 
at  racing  speed  (i  J^  mile  in  8  minutes)  20  times.  I  have  seen  much  faulty 
breathing  amongst  athletes,  oarsmen  and  scullers;  but  if  this  statement  of 
Professor  Zuntz  is  according  to  fact,  it  is  much  worse  than  I  ever  dreamt  of. 
Twenty  times  16  is  320  respirations  per  minute.  And  this  again  means  that 
the  heart  strives  to  attain  1,280  pulsations  per  minute!  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  so  many  promising  athletes  have  ruined  their  hearts  and  their  health  ? 


14 

I  am  now  over  forty-seven  years  old,  and  have  taken  part  in  rowing 
regattas  for  twenty-nine  years,  but  hitherto  I  have  never  met  an  oarsman 
who  could  pull  harder  and  with  more  endurance  than  myself. .  The  reason 
is  that  from  an  early  age  I  cultivated  a  full,  and  proportionately  slow,  regular 
respiration,  even  during  the  hardest  and  most  protracted  efforts.  As  long 
as  I  am  under  28  strokes  per  minute,  I  take  two  breaths  to  each  stroke  (if 
racing,  of  course;  during  paddling,  never  more  than  one  breath).  But  if 
I  make  over  28  strokes,  I  only  take  one  breath  per  stroke.  Therefore  the 
highest  number  of  respirations  per  minute  wlU  be  56.  This  is  vastly  differ- 
ent from  320!  And  the  pulsations  of  my  heart,  which,  according  to  theory, 
should  strive  to  reach  the  number  of  224,  will  practically  never  be  more  than 
180  even  in  the  hardest  spurts.  (This  number  does  not,  of  course,  repre- 
sent a  whole  minute's  work;  but,  there  being  30  beats  in  the  first  ten  sec- 
onds after  the  finish  of  a  spurt,  this  corresponds  to  180  per  minute.  A 
sound  heart  will  rapidly  and  considerably  cahn  itself  down,  pulsating  at  the 
end  of  the  first  60  seconds  at  a  rate  of,  say,  160  beats  per  minute,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  second  minute  even  only  120.) 

The  Germah  doctor,  Professor  Kolb,  himself  at  one  time  a  prominent 
oarsman,  found  the  hearts  of  rowing  athletes  to  beat  230  to  250  times  per 
minute  after  only  one  minute's  hard  work.  This  rate  is  not  so  alarming  as 
Professor  Zuntz'  theoretical  figures  would  lead  us  to  anticipate.  But  they 
are  still  far  above  the  Hmit  of  health,  and  can  only  be  explained  by  the  sup- 
position that  the  respiration  of  these  men  must  have  been  too  rapid  and 
shallow. 

Why  Decp-brcathing  Exercises  have  latterly  faflen  into 
Discredit. 

The  question  of  the  usefulness  or  the  harmfulness  of  deep-breathing 
exercises  has  of  late  been  keenly  discussed,  even  in  the  daily  papers.  It  is 
very  Kkely  that  the  opponents  of  such  exercises  have  had  discouraging  ex- 
perience themselves,  or  have  witnessed  very  poor  results  amongst  their 
friends.  I  have  myself  now  and  then  met  people  whose  chest  or  lungs  were 
defective,  notwithstanding  that  they  had  worked  hard  for  the  purpose  of 
strengthening  these  important  organs  of  the  body.  But  one  thing  is  quite 
certain:  when  deep-breathing  exercises  have  given  bad  results,  then  the 
method  has  been  a  wrong  one.  There  are  three  classes  of  people  amongst 
whom  we  may  be  sure  of  meeting  the  inelastic  "cropper  chest,"  veihng  an 
incipient  or  already  developed  emphysema  or  even  heart  disease.  Let  me 
cite  the  cases  of  the  Swedish  gymnasts,  of  whom  I  shall  have  occasion  to 
speak  in  a  later  chapter;  the  victims  of  miUtary  drill;  and  the  so-caUed 
"strong  men." 

One  of  the  most  common  regulations  for  soldiers  is:  Chest  outwards, 
"stomach"  inwards! — the  tight  belt,  or  the  officer's  corset,  helping  con- 
siderably to  secure  this  unnatural  posture.  When  soldiers  are  drilled,  they 
are  exhorted  to  arch  the  chest  more  and  more,  and  to  keep  this  up  per- 
manently.    That  is  called  deep-breathing  exercise!    And  the  officers  think 


15 

it  their  duty  to  set  the  soldiers  an  example.  They  hardly  dare  to  make  a 
fair  exhalation,  for  fear  the  chest  should  sink.  By  the  time,  therefore,  the 
Ueutenant  becomes  colonel  or  general,  or  even  before,  his  ribs  have  grown 
fixed  and  rigid,  the  vesicles  have  become  slack  and  permanently  distended, 
like  old  misused  indiarubber;  in  other  words,  his  lungs  are  ruined. 

We  see  here  the  result  of  two  distinct  faults:   firstly,  the  strongly  in- 
drawn abdomen,  as  a  result  of  which  the  viscera  prevent  the  diaphragm 


Fig.  2. — ^A  Wrong  Method  or  Deep-breathing. 

(Photograph  of  the  Author,  taken  about  20  years  ago,  when  he  did  not  possess  so  much 
knowledge  and  experience  as  now.) 

from  sinking  and,  therefore,  the  breath  from  being  a  full  one;  and,  sec- 
ondly, the  lack  of  deep  exhalation,  of  which  the  effect  may  be  the  above- 
named  lung  and  heart  troubles.  It  is,  therefore,  not  only  wrong,  but  in  the 
long  run  also  dangerous,  always  to  walk  about  with  the  chest  too  highly- 
arched  and  the  abdomen  too  much  drawn  in.  The  natural  easy  bearing  of 
the  body  we  always  see  in  the  ancient  Greek  statues  is  the  healthiest  and 
also  the  most  beautiful,  at  all  events  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  have  a  properly 
developed  taste.  But  I  am  sure  that  if  a  Swedish  gymnastic  teacher  or  a 
military  drill  sergeant  were  to  visit  the  museum  and  contemplate,  not  from 


i6 

the  front,  but  in  profile,  an  Apoxj'omenos,  a  Doryphoros,  or  an  Apollo 
Belvedere,  they  would  declare  these  superb  figures  round-backed  and  flat- 
chested. 

Samples  of  the  third  class,  the  "strong  men,"  are  not  difficult  to  find 
because  they  are  so  fond  of  exhibiting  themselves,  posing  and  photographed, 
in  the  most  unnatural  and  overstrained  attitudes.  As  mentioned  on  p.  53, 
it  becomes  quite  habitual  to  performers  of  "feats  of  strength"  after  inhala- 
tion to  arch  the  chest  and  brace  aU  the  muscles  of  the  trunk,  especially  the 
abdominal,  while  they  hold  their  breath.  By  degrees  they  become  firm 
behevers  in  the  false  theory  that  this  is  quite  the  right  method  of  deep- 
breathing,  and  that  the  highly  inflated  upper  chest  and  the  deeply  indrawn 
abdomen  are  the  very  symbols  of  imposing,  superhuman  strength.  I  have 
selected  a  few  amongst  the  many  hundreds  of  photographs  regularly  appear- 
ing in  the  weight-Hfting  and  "strong  men"  papers  (see  Figs,  i  and  2),  and 
reproduce  them  here  as  warning  examples. 

Should  the  Breath  ever  be  held  after  a  Deep  Inhalation? 

I  have  seen  books  on  "Deep-Breathing"  and  "Breathing  for  Health," 
in  which  every  single  exercise  was  breath-holding,  combined  with  some 
movements  of  the  hmbs.  There  may  be  cases  where  the  holding  of  the 
breath  for  a  fairly  long  time  (a  minute  or  more)  might  be  a  useful  exercise 
calculated  to  strengthen  the  lungs  and  heart.  Setting  aside  certain  oc- 
casions of  urgency  {e.  g.,  when  diving  and  rescuing  drowning  persons),  this 
should  never  be  combined  ■ndth  feats  of  exertion,  and  can  only  be  recom- 
mended to  quite  healthy  and  well-trained  adult  persons  whose  vital  organs 
are  already  reaUy  strong.  But,  as  has  already  been  stated  in  the  preface, 
this  booklet  has  not  been  written  for  this  class  of  individuals,  who  are  prob- 
ably few  in  number.  Persons  suffering  from  consimiption,  asthma,  and 
heart  diseases  might  easily  kill  themselves  by  this  practice.  ^And  even 
overtrained  athletes  or  muscle-bound  weight-lifters  who  imagine  themselves 
to  be  so  strong  and  healthy,  should,  above  all  things,  avoid  holding  the 
breath,  because  it  is  just  this  habit,  combined  with  over-inflation  of  the 
lungs,  which  is  responsible  for  emphysema  or  heart  disease.  Therefore, 
speaking  generally,  I  do  not  recommend  any  breath-holding  exercise.  But 
an  exception  must  be  made  in  the  case  of  singers  and  speakers.  If  their 
internal  organs  are  strong  and  healthy  they  can  undoubtedly  increase  their 
particular  capacities  by  such  exercises,  especially  when  combined  with 
such  good  exercises  for  the  abdominal  muscles  as  Xos.  3  and  6  of  "My 
System."  It  is  not,  however,  necessary  to  give  directions  for  these  cases 
in  this  little  volume,  since  the  matter  has  been  fiiUy  dealt  vath.  by  so  many 
authors. 

The  Importance  of  Physical  Exercise  immediately  before 
Deep-breathing. 

In  scores  of  books  in  all  languages  deep  breathing  is  recommended, 
and  always  prescribed  in  the  same  manner,  namely,  that  in  the  early  mom- 


17 

ing  one  should  stand  in  front  of  an  open  window  and  perform  a  long  series 
of  very  full  respirations,  more  often  than  not  combined  with  holding  of  the 
breath — but  nothing  else. 

Ten  years  ago,  in  my  first  book,  "My  System,"  I  maintained  that 
it  was  a  wrong  idea  to  stand  quietly  and  take  deep  breaths  without  any  pre- 
vious physical  exertion.  And  all  my  considerable  experience  since  that 
time  has  convinced  me  that  I  was  right.  It  is  always  a  healthy  practice 
in  daily  Hfe  to  take  fairly  deep  and  regular  breaths,  but  the  special  fuU  res- 
pirations, whereby  large  quantities  of  air  are  pumped  into  the  lungs,  should 
never  be  performed  unless  the  body  really  needs  this  extra  supply;  other- 
wise derangement  in  the  relative  pressure  of  the  vessels  of  the  body  wiU  be 
caused,  the  equilibrium  in  the  tissues  will  be  disturbed,  and  giddiness  and 
dizziness  result.  On  the  other  hand,  the  deep  breaths  wiU  be  much  more 
complete,  will  be  performed  much  more  easily,  and  give  much  more  com- 
fort, if  combined  with  some  form  of  bodily  exercise  or  physical  exertion  re- 
quiring increased  change  of  air  in  the  lungs. 

If  such  exercise  only  lasts  a  very  short  time,  we  should  utiHse  the  op- 
portunity and  take  some  deep  breaths  immediately  after  it.  And  if  the 
exercise  is  of  longer  duration,  one  may  very  well  perform  deep  breathing 
continuously  during  the  movements. 

Beginners  in  the  art  of  breathing  who  have  not  yet  learned  any  special 
g}Tnnastic  exercise,  may  profitably  practice  deep-breathing  when  walking 
to  or  from  their  business.  They  should  take  4  to  6  strides  during  inhala- 
tion and  5  to  7  during  exhalation.  After  some  practice  the  number  of 
strides  may  be  considerably  augmented.  But  there  should  always  be  one 
or  two  more  strides  during  exhalation  than  during  inhalation.  When  the 
lungs  have  become  still  stronger,  it  is  an  excellent  plan  to  run  a  few  hundred 
yards,  and  then  walk  and  perform  a  number  of  deep  breathings,  which  now 
will  naturally  be  very  full.  Then  repeat  the  run  and  the  walk,  with  deep- 
breathing,  several  times. 

The  reason  why  so  many  "inventors"  of  special  deep-breathing  ex- 
ercises recommend  holding  of  the  breath,  sometimes  for  a  rather  long  period, 
is,  I  am  sure,  that  they  intend  by  this  means  to  create  a  need  for  more  air. 
They  have  reahsed  that  it  is  not  easy  to  breathe  very  fully  unless  such  need 
exists.  But  instead  of  producing  this  need  in  a  natural  way,  by  good  bodily 
exercise,  they  have  resorted  to  the  highly  artificial  method  of  holding  the 
breath.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  one  is  forced  to  take  several  fuU  res- 
pirations after  having  held  the  breath  for  a  minute  or  more;  but  if  one  does 
not  possess  a  strong  heart  to  start  with,  the  organ  will  certainly  be  injured. 
Proof  of  this  I  give  elsewhere  in  this  booklet. 

The  Importance  of  Slow  Exhalation. 
A  good  full  inhalation  depends  on  a  good  deep  exhalation,  but  the 
opposite  relation  does  not  exist.     If  one  has  taken  a  very  long  and  deep  ex- 
halation, one  is  bound  to  follow  this  with  a  full  inhalation,  otherwise  there 
results  a  sensation  of  being  smothered.     But  after  a  fuU  inhalation  one  ex- 


periences  no  special  impulse  to  perform  an  exhalation  of  a  corresponding 
quality  or  quantity.  Hence  the  prime  importance  of  exhaKng.  JNIany 
people  cultivate  an  inadequate  method  of  inhaling,  a  sort  of  inflation  of  the 
lungs,  with  an  exaggerated  arching  of  the  chest,  which  eventually  may  re- 
suit  in  the  production  of  emphysema.  Full  inhalation  often  comes  quite 
naturally  as  the  result  of  predisposing  conditions,  e.  g.,  after  muscular  effort; 
but  deep  exhalation  must  be  specifically  learnt.  A  good  deep  exhalation 
demands  a  certain  amount  of  time,  and  should,  therefore,  always  be  per- 
formed rather  slowly.  Reference  to  "^ly  System"  will  show  that  I  always 
recommend  the  practice  of  slow  exhalation  during  the  performance  of  the 
muscular  and  gymnastic  exercises,  and  of  the  rubbing  movements  as  well, 
even  in  cases  where  I  sometimes  prescribe  a  rather  brisk  inhalation.  And 
I  adhere,  of  course,  to  the  same  principle  in  this  booklet.  The  scientific 
reason  for  such  slow  performance  of  exhalation  is  as  follows : — 

The  walls  of  each  of  the  four  hundred  milhons  of  vesicles  in  the  lungs 
are  constructed  of  elastic  fibres.  But  this  elasticity  will  in  time  be  lost  if 
the  fibres  are  expanded  too  much  or  too  often  without  giving  them  sufficient 
time  to  contract  again.  This  is  exactly  the  case  with  ordinary  indiarubber 
when  it  is  misused.  If  the  vesicles  are  always  filled  with  air  by  full  inhala- 
tions, and  if  they  are  never  given  sufficient  time  to  contract  and  again  ex- 
pel the  air  by  deep  and  slow  exhalations,  the  result  wiU  by  degrees  be  a 
morbid  slackness  of  the  fibres.  "\Mien  it  is  remembered  that  during  defla- 
tion each  of  the  several  milHons  of  vesicles  of  the  lungs  has  to  contract  to 
about  one-third  of  its  capacity  when  distended,  it  will  be  readily  understood 
that  a  considerable  amount  of  time  is  requisite  for  the  process.  The  reader 
may  have  met  athletic-looking  weight-Hfters  or  gjmmasts  or  "strong  men" 
with  chests  as  high,  broad  and  arched  as  a  barrel.  Some  may  have  ad- 
mired or  even  coveted  these  barrels.  But  in  most  cases  such  chests  are  but 
"whited  sepulchres."  The  ribs  have  become  practically  immovable,  and 
the  vesicles  of  the  lungs  have  lost  their  elasticity.  Such  a  chest  will  be 
unable  to  stand  a  protracted  effort  without  injuring  the  heart,  and  em- 
physema of  the  lungs  itself  will  probably  cause  premature  death  of  the  in- 
dividual. Therefore  the  ideal  should  be  a  movable  thorax  and  elastic 
vesicles,  trained  just  as  much  by  steady  contraction  as  by  expansion. 

Why  should  wc  Breathe  throtigh  the  Nose  ? 
Nature  gave  us  a  mouth  with  which  to  eat  and  to  speak,  and  a  nose 
with  which  to  breathe  and  to  smell.  We  are  told  that  "the  breath  of  hfe 
was  breathed  into  man's  nostrils" — then  why  should  he  not  continue  to 
live  by  breathing  through  the  same  channels?  The  higher  animals  always 
breathe  through  the  nostrils.  Such  "over-domesticated"  or  degenerate 
creatures  as  the  pet  dog  and  the  fussy,  breathless  hen  are  the  only  exceptions 
to  the  general  rule.  Considered  as  animals,  many  human  beings  also  are 
degenerate,  and  use  their  organs  in  a  perverted  way,  e.  g.,  the  mouth  for 
breathing  purposes.  If  we  examine  the  internal  structure  of  the  nose,  we 
shall  see  at  once  that  it  was  Nature's  intention  that  inhaled  air  should  pass 


19 

through  this  channel.  The  entrance  to  the  nostrils  is  furnished  with  hairs, 
and  farther  inwards,  the  nasal  cavities  are  entirely  hned  with  mucous  mem- 
brane. Most  of  the  dust,  germs  and  impure  particles  which  enter  during 
the  act  of  inhalation  are  retained  here,  and  the  air  is  thus  cleansed,  whilst 
if  the  air  is  inhaled  through  the  mouth,  the  micro-organisms  may  pass  into 
the  lungs.  Especially  in  cases  where  the  tonsils  have  been  removed  by 
operation,  the  direct  entrance  to  the  bronchiae  and  lungs  is  quite  open.  In 
big  towns,  where  the  air  is  always  foul,  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  nose 
has  a  very  hard  task  to  perform,  and  must,  therefore,  secrete  a  plentiful 
supply  of  mucus,  which  will  run  or  drip  away  from  the  nostrils.  This  pro- 
cess is  therefore  by  no  means  always  a  sign  of  cold,  but  only  proof  that  the 
protecting  organs  are  performing  their  duty  thoroughly.  In  some  big 
centres  the  air  is  so  bad  and  the  smoke  so  dense  that  it  is  impossible  for  the 
mucous  membrane  to  arrest  aU  the  dust  and  germs,  some  of  which  wiU, 
therefore,  pass  through  the  throat  and  reach  the  bronchi;  but  if  these  or- 
gans are  healthy,  they  will  react  against  the  invasion  and  throw  off  the 
germs,  which  are  ejected  with  the  phlegm  in  the  act  of  expectoration.  This 
sort  of  coughing,  also,  is  not  at  all  due  to  any  ailment  or  cold,  but  is  actually 
a  proof  of  the  sound  condition  of  the  organs.  On  the  other  hand,  unhealthy 
persons  who  are  without  reactive  power  will  retain  and  store  up,  day  after 
day,  year  after  year,  all  this  poisonous  matter  within  their  poor  systems, 
which  become  consequently  steadily  weakened.  It  is  a  good  habit  to 
cleanse  the  mucous  membrane  and  the  throat  each  morning  or  night  with 
a  solution  of  common  salt  in  warm  water.  When  the  throat  is  gargled  with 
this  in  the  usual  manner,  much  phlegm  and  black  substances  from  the  in- 
haled town  air  will  be  dissolved  and  brought  up.  The  nose  is  easily  cleansed 
by  means  of  some  of  the  salt  water  held  in  the  hollow  of  the  hand,  then 
snuffed  up  into  the  nose,  and  finally  expelled  through  the  mouth. 

If  persons  who  breathe  through  the  mouth  have  decayed  teeth,  they 
will  never  get  fresh  air  into  their  lungs,  even  when  visiting  the  seaside.  The 
inhaled  air  wiU  be  constantly  infected  by  the  putrid  secretions  of  the  mouth. 
Another  advantage  of  nasal  breathing  is  that  we  become  immediately 
'  warned,  through  the  sense  of  smeU,  of  the  presence  in  a  room  of  poisonous 
gases,  or  of  air  which  contains  dangerous  impurities,  whilst  those  who 
breathe  through  the  mouth  as  a  rule  have  the  nostrils  obstructed  and  have 
impaired,  or  totally  lost,  their  sense  of  smell.  Such  persons  are,  of  course 
in  danger  of  becoming  quickly  suffocated  in  the  case  of  an  escape  of  gas,  or 
slowly  poisoned  if  working  at  dangerous  occupations,  as  in  the  case  of  com- 
positors, painters,  plumbers,  pottery  workers,  etc.,  who  are  particularly 
liable  to  lead-poisoning. 

Especially  in  cold  weather  is  it  of  great  importance  that  the  inhaled 
air  should  be  well  warmed  before  it  enters  the  lungs.  This  heating  cannot 
take  place  adequately  unless  the  air  is  inhaled  through  the  nose.  Many 
chills  and  inflammations  arise  solely  from  the  fact  that  the  air  inhaled 
through  the  mouth  is  too  cold  for  the  bronchi  and  the  mucous  membrane  of 
the  lungs.     Now,  the  interior  of  the  nose  is  splendidly  arranged  as  a  feed- 


heater.  There  are  one  small  and  two  big  pieces  of  muscle  or  cartilage  in 
the  inner  cavity  of  the  nose,  and  between  these  are  three  irregularly  formed 
passages,  the  walls  of  which  are  entirely  covered  with  mucous  membrane 
filled  with  warm  blood,  which  thus  constitute  a  very  large  heating-surface. 
The  air  during  inhalation  is  dispersed  over  this  large  surface,  and  the  ir- 
regularity of  the  walls  of  the  passages  prevents  it  from  rushing  through  too 


Fig.  3. — The  Correct  Manner  of  Opening  the  Nostrils 
WHEN  Inhaling. 


quickly.  By  this  means  even  very  cold  air  is  heated  to  a  temperature  not 
much  below  that  of  the  body.  At  the  same  time  this  inrush  of  fresh  air 
forms  a  most  effective  massage  for  the  mucous  membrane.  If  it  be  de- 
prived of  this  massage,  as  is  the  case  with  mouth-breathers,  the  membrane 
will  degenerate  and  become  the  seat  of  chronic  catarrh  or  of  adenoids. 

Adenoids  are  a  species  of  tumour,  and  are  growths  of  the  lymphatic 
tissues  of  the  upper  part  of  the  throat.  Their  presence  may  be  detected 
by  the  fact  that  the  child  suffers  from  chronic  nasal  catarrh,  and  breathes 
through  the  mouth,  which  is  usually  held  open.     The  obstruction  and  con- 


sequences  give  the  child  a  stupid,  sluggish  look.  Adenoids  occur  chiefly 
in  children  from  four  to  fourteen  years,  but  very  young  children  have  been 
known  to  suffer  from  them.  Being  morbid  growths,  they  are  always  due 
to  ill  conditions  of  the  mucous  membrane,  and  that  is  why  all  children 
should  be  taught  from  infancy  to  breathe  through  the  nose.  This  may  be 
achieved  bv  the  mother  taking  great  care  to  close  her  baby's  Ups  whenever 


Fig.  4. — The  Wrong  Manner  of  Inhaling,  by  Sucking 
IN  Air,  and  thereby  closing  the  Nostrils. 


it  is  asleep.  The  infant  will  soon  acquire  the  habit  to  its  benefit  in  more 
ways  than  one. 

The  most  effective  cure  for  adenoids  is  that  of  surgical  removal,  and  is 
in  nearly  all  cases  a  very  simple  and  not  dangerous  operation,  often  per- 
formed merely  with  the  doctor's  finger. 

Besides  which,  the  duty  of  the  nasal  mucous  membrane  is  not  only 
to  heat  the  inhaled  air,  but  also  to  moisten  it,  or  saturate  it  with  vapour. 
This  process  is  also  unsatisfactorily  performed  if  the  air  makes  a  short  cut 


through  the  mouth.  The  mucus  of  the  nose,  in  the  act  of  secreting  the 
vapour,  becomes  transformed  in  dry  weather  into  hard  crusts.  There- 
fore the  air  in  rooms  heated  by  radiators,  &c.,  is  often  very  uncomfortable. 
Flat  basins  of  water  should  be  placed  on  the  top  of  such  stoves,  in  order  to 
supply  the  air  with  sufficient  moisture. 

There  is  still  another  great  advantage  in  breathing  through  the  nose, 
namely,  that  one  obviates  aU  the  risks  of  making  one's  throat  dry  and  husky 
by  the  continual  friction  of  the  air  on  the  back  of  the  throat.  Especially 
in  dry  weather,  or  when  the  air  is  filled  with  dust,  the  mouth  breather  will 
suffer  from  an  almost  unquenchable  thirst.  This  produces  a  habit  of  ex- 
cessive drinking — a  practice  which  is  Kable  to  injure  not  alone  the  pocket, 
but  also  the  health. 

The  reasons,  then,  for  nasal  breathing  are  many  and  weighty,  and  this 
method  ought,  therefore,  to  be  adopted  as  much  as  possible.  In  a  later 
chapter,  "Hints  for  Athletes,"  I  mention  some  cases  where  it  is,  unfortu- 
nately, necessary  to  breathe  through  the  mouth.  But  it  is  then  the  more 
important  for  these  athletes  to  adopt  the  normal  nasal  method  both  by  day 
and  night,  whenever  they  are  not  occupied  in  their  special  sport.  More- 
over, there  is  also  an  aesthetic  reason  why  we  should  breathe  through  the 
nose.  Running  about  with  an  open  mouth  always  imparts  an  idiotic  ap- 
pearance. In  Denmark  we  say  of  such  an  individual,  that  "he  resembles 
a  cod-fish  in  rainy  weather." 

Many  persons  at  first  find  it  difficult  to  obtain  siifficient  air  through 
the  nose.  Very  often  the  reason  is  that  they  close  the  "wings"  of  the  nos- 
trils instead  of  distending  them.  They  don't  know  that,  in  order  to  get 
air  into  the  lungs,  it  is  sufficient  simply  to  expand  the  thorax,  which,  by 
creating  a  vacuum  inside,  mil  force  the  air  to  rush  in.  They  imagine  that 
the  air  must  be  sucked  in.  But  by  this  suction  the  wings  of  the  nose  wUl 
be  drawn  inwards  and  pressed  against  the  middle  waU  of  the  outer  nose,  and 
the  nostrils  be  thus  closed.  The  wdngs  of  the  nose  consist  of  muscles,  which 
should  be  trained  so  that  they  are  able  to  move  outwards  and  thereby  give 
freer  passage  to  the  air.  Many  persons  nowadays  have  lost  their  abihty 
to  move  these  muscles.  But  after  a  few  weeks'  practice  it  is  in  most  cases 
possible  to  regain  this  power.  Fig.  3  shows  a  well-opened  nose,  whilst 
Fig.  4  shows  how  the  nostrils  are  closed  when  the  air  is  sucked  in.  For 
persons  who  find  it  very  difficult  to  acquire  this  control  of  the  nostrils,  I  can 
recommend  the  use  of  the  Albar  apparatus.  The  cheapest  model,  of  silver, 
costs  75.,  and  will  in  certain  cases  prove  very  valuable  to  the  user. 

Why  is  it  generally  Wrong  to  Exhale  through  the  Mouth 
after  Nasal  Inhalation? 

In  a  letter  I  received  some  time  ago  from  an  officer  of  the  Royal  Xavy, 
I  was  asked  why  in  "My  System"  I  recommended  both  inhaling  and  ex- 
hahng  through  the  nose.  The  writer  thought  I  was  wrong,  and  he  stated 
further,  that  "the  Swedish  system  as  taught  in  the  Navy  teUs  those  who 


23 

practise  it  to  iiihale  through  the  nose  and  exhale  through  the  mouth."  I 
have  often  been  asked  the  same  question  by  German  readers,  probably  be- 
cause so  many  German  books  on  gymnastics  recommend  this  wrong  method. 
Lieutenant  Hebert,  the  author  of  the  new  French  "System,"  has  also  fallen 
into  this  error  (see  p.  127  of  "L'education  physique"),  and  into  many  other 
errors  as  weU.  Let  me  now,  therefore,  answer  the  question  fully,  for  once 
and  aU.  Perhaps  the  most  practical  way  to  convince  a  man  who  foUows 
this  method  that  he  is  wrong  would  be  to  let  him  practise  it  during  a  hard 
ski-ing  trip  up  and  down  the  mountains,  or  when  speed-skating  a  fair  dis- 
tance in  a  temperature  of  that  sort  in  which  the  breath  freezes  and  settles  as 
rime  on  the  beard  and  eyebrows,  and  upon  the  front  of  the  jacket.  He 
would  certainly  soon  feel  as  if  that  ornament  of  the  face  we  call  the  nose 
w'ere  completely  missing,  as  it  would  be  frozen  white  both  inside  and  out- 
side; and  if  he  did  not  quickly  rub  it  with  snow  he  would  soon  lose  it  in 
reaUty.  The  reason  for  this  is,  that  the  man,  having  steadily  inhaled  ice- 
cold  air,  would,  at  the  same  time,  have  lost  all  opportunity  of  again  heating 
the  frozen  mucous  membrane  by  the  aid  of  warm  exhaled  air,  since  he  had 
allowed  it  to  escape  through  his  mouth. 

When  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  nose  has  become  too  cold,  it  is  no 
longer  able  to  heat  the  supply  of  cold  air  which  is  inhaled  in  the  ensuing 
breath.  Cold  air  will  then  enter  down  into  the  lungs  and  produce  colds 
and  perhaps  pneumonia. 

A  similar  danger  may  be  incurred  even  during  the  summer,  if  the  air 
is  very  dry.  Not  alone  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  nose,  but  also  that 
of  the  lungs,  will  then  become  too  dry  and  irritated  and  no  longer  capable 
of  resisting  the  attacking  germs.  The  only  means  of  preventing  this  is  to 
allow  the  exhaled  air,  which  is  always  saturated  with  vapour,  to  pass  away 
through  the  nose  instead  of  through  the  mouth. 

There  is  still  a  third  reason  why  exhaHng  through  the  mouth  is  wrong. 
If  there  are  bacilli  or  other  dangerous  organisms  in  the  air — and  this  is  al- 
ways the  case  in  railway  compartments,  and  even  in  the  open  air  of  big  cen- 
tres— many  of  these  germs  will  be  arrested  at  various  stages  by  the  mucous 
membrane.  But  if  there  is  a  regular,  steady  draught  downwards,  some  of 
these  bacilU  or  germs  will,  owing  to  the  absence  of  an  expiratory  current, 
certainly  travel  farther  and  farther  downwards.  This  will  happen  if  in- 
halation is  always  made  through  the  nose  and  exhalation  through  the  mouth. 
But  if  there  occur  every  alternate  instant  a  current  of  air  in  the  opposite 
direction,  i.  e.,  if  exhalation  be  performed  through  the  nose,  a  number  of  the 
germs  will  be  expelled  again.  In  the  absence,  also,  of  this  outward  passage  of 
air,  paroxysmal  attacks  of  sneezing,  which  at  times  may  be  very  persistent 
and  most  distressing  to  the  sufferer,  are  induced  by  Nature's  efforts  to  get 
rid  of  the  obstructing  or  irritating  particles. 

Fourthly,  I  have  a  reason,  arising  out  of  my  personal  experience,  for 
recommending  exhalation  through  the  nose.  As  readers  of  my  former 
books  will  have  remarked,  I  always  recommend  comparatively  slow  exhala- 
tion.    Now,  if  we  exhale  through  the  nose,  we  are  bound  to  do  it  slowly. 


24 

But  if  exhalation  is  performed  through  the  mouth,  it  is  possible  to  do  it 
very  quickly  by  a  sort  of  "puff."  And  it  is  my  experience  that  beginners 
in  the  art  of  breathing  nearly  always  succumb  to  the  temptation  of  exhahng 
in  this  seemingly  easy  manner,  if  they  are  ever  allowed  to  use  the  mouth 
for  this  purpose. 

A  fifth  reason  I  find  in  a  booklet  by  Dr.  HaUs  Dally.  He  caUs  it  a 
grievous  error  to  breathe  in  through  the  nose  and  out  through  the  mouth: 
"The  pupils  subsequently  may  become  confused  as  to  the  direction,  and 
breathe  in  through  the  mouth  and  out  through  the  nose.  This  has  hap- 
pened not  infrequently  within  my  own  experience." 


Shtft  Your  Motith! 

Recently  a  friend  of  mine  lent  me  an  old  book,  "Shut  your  mouth,  and 
Save  your  life,"  by  George  Catlin,  London,  1875.  It  is  out  of  print,  but 
ought  to  be  reprinted.  The  author  studied  the  life  of  Indian  tribes  in  North 
and  South  America.  He  found  sanitary  conditions  among  these  savage 
races  much  better  than  among  civilised  races,  and  during  his  investigations 
he  was  more  and  more  convinced  that  the  reason  was  that  the  Indians  al- 
ways breathed  through  their  nose,  not  only  in  the  daytime,  but  also  when 
sleeping.  They  were  taught  to  do  so  as  babies,  their  Indian  mothers 
always  closing  their  children's  lips  when  the  latter  were  asleep. 

I  should  like  to  make  a  few  quotations  from   this  sane  old  work: — 

"All  persons  going  to  sleep  should  think,  not  of  their  business,  not  of 
their  riches  or  poverty,  their  pains  or  their  pleasures,  but,  of  what  are  of 
infinitely  greater  importance  to  them,  their  lungs;  their  best  friends,  that 
have  kept  them  alive  through  the  day,  and  from  whose  quiet  and  peaceful 
repose  they  are  to  look  for  happiness  and  strength  during  the  toils  of  the 
following  day.  They  should  first  recoUect  that  their  natural  food  is  fresh 
air;  and  next,  that  the  channels  prepared  for  the  supply  of  that  food  are  the 
nostrils,  which  are  supplied  with  the  means  of  purifying  the  food  for  the 
lungs,  as  the  mouth  is  constructed  to  select  and  masticate  the  food  for  the 
stomach.  The  lungs  should  be  put  to  rest  as  a  fond  mother  lulls  her  in- 
fant to  sleep;*  they  should  be  supplied  with  vital  air,  and  protected  in  the 
natural  use  of  it;  and  for  such  care,  each  successive  day  would  repay  in  in- 
creased pleasures  and  enjoyments.     .     ." 

"It  is  the  suppression  of  saliva,  with  dryness  of  the  mouth,  and  an  un- 
natural current  of  cold  air  across  the  teeth  and  gums  during  the  hours  of 
sleep,  that  produces  malformation  of  the  teeth,  toothache,  and  tic  douloureux, 
with  premature  decay,  and  loss  of  teeth,  so  lamentably  prevalent  in  the 
civiHsed  world.     .     .     ." 

"It  is,  most  undoubtedly,  the  above-named  habit  which  produces 
confirmed  snorers,  and  also  consumption  of  the  lungs  and  many  other  dis- 
eases, as  well  as  premature  decay  of  the  teeth,  nightmare,  etc.,  from  which 
it  has  been  shown,  the  savage  races  are  chiefly  exempt;    (and  I  firmly  be- 


25 

Heve)  from  the  fact  that  they  always  sleep  with  their  mouths  closed,  and 
their  teeth  together,  as  I  have  before  described.     .     .     ." 

"Open  mouths  during  the  night  are  sure  to  produce  open  mouths  dur- 
ing the  day;  the  teeth  protrude  if  the  habit  be  commenced  in  infancy,  so 
that  the  mouth  can't  be  shut,  the  natural  expression  is  lost,  the  voice  is 
affected,  polypus  takes  possession  of  the  nose,  the  teeth  decay,  tainted 
breath  ensues,  and  the  lungs  are  destroyed.  The  whole  features  of  the 
face  are  changed,  the  under  jaw,  unhinged,  falls  and  retires,  the  cheeks  are 
hoUowed,  and  the  cheek-bones  and  the  upper  jaw  advance,  and  the  brow 
and  the  upper  eyelids  are  unnaturally  lifted;  presenting  at  once  the  leading 
features  and  expression  of  idiocy." 

It  is  quite  true  what  the  author  just  quoted  remarks  on  the  snoring 
habit  being  produced  by  breathing  through  the  open  mouth.  The  reason 
is  that  the  inspired  and  expelled  draughts  of  air  strike  against  the  uvula  and 
soft  palate,  setting  them  in  vibration  and  giving  forth  anything  but  a 
musical  sound.  While  it  is  better  for  the  habitual  nose-breather  to  have 
the  pillow  as  low  as  possible,  I  should  advise  that  a  child,  whUe  being 
trained  to  breathe  only  through  the  nose,  should  have  its  pillow  arranged 
at  such  a  height  and  so  placed  (under  the  head,  and  not  under  the  shoulders) 
that  the  head  wiU  be  kept  well  raised  when  the  child  lies  on  its  back,  for  if 
the  head  is  too  far  back  there  is  a  tendency  for  the  jaw  to  drop  open. 

Latighter — A  Healthy  Method  of  Exhaling. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  name  a  more  healthy  exercise  -than  laughing, 
especially  good,  hearty  laughter  which  "makes  one's  sides  ache,"  as  people 
say.  It  is,  therefore,  a  splendid  thing  for  the  health  to  see  a  good  comedy 
played,  or  the  antics  of  a  good  clown,  and  it  would  be  much  healthier  stiU 
if  these  things  were  not,  as  is,  unfortunately,  nearly  always  the  case,  in- 
dissolubly  connected  with  foul  air  and  late  hours. 

Laughing  is  produced  by  a  sort  of  exhalation  in  gusts,  in  the  produc- 
tion of  which  the  abdominal  wall  is  alternately  braced  and  relaxed. 

The  healthy  effect  is  partly  direct,  by  shaking  and  massaging  of 
the  viscera;  partly  indirect,  by  creating  good  spirits,  which  promotes 
metabolism. 

Let  us,  therefore,  enjoy  a  good  laugh  as  often  as  we  have  the  oppor- 
timity. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    MACHINERY    OF    THE    BREATHING 
APPARATUS* 

It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  give  here  a  full  explanation  of  the  anat- 
omy of  the  breathing  organs,  nor  to  enter  upon  a  long  physiological  dis- 
quisition on  the  various  issues  which  present  themselves.  I  will  also  leave 
aside  entirely  the  influence  of  the  nervous  system,  and  the  chemical  changes 
which  occur,  because  detailed  descriptions  of  aU  these  matters  can  be  easily 
found  in  hundreds  of  text-books  of  physiology  and  treatises  on  breathing. 
I  will  content  myself  with  dealing  only  with  the  mechanism  involved, 
briefly  outhning  the  functions  which  occur  during  the  respirator}^  process, 
with  a  view  to  correcting  some  common  errors  which  are  prevalent  concern- 
ing the  matter. 

Fig.  5  shows  the  human  trunk  opened  in  front  so  that  most  of  the  in- 
ternal organs  are  visible,  and  Fig.  6  gives  a  skeleton-hke  side-view.  The 
whole  inner  cavity  is  divided  by  a  horizontal,  but  dome-shaped,  partition- 
wall  (the  diaphragm)  into  an  upper  part  (the  thoracic  compartment),  con- 
taining the  lungs  and  heart,  and  a  lower  part  (the  abdominal  compartment), 
containing  the  hver,  gaU-bladder,  stomach,  kidneys,  intestines,  etc.  Xow, 
it  is  obvious  that  the  more  the  thorax  is  enlarged  and  expanded  in  various 
directions,  the  more  fully  can  the  lungs,  by  inhalation,  be  inflated  with 
fresh  air,  rich  in  oxygen.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  the  more  the  thorax, 
during  exhalation,  can  be  contracted  and  narrowed,  the  greater  the  amount 
of  foul  air,  containing  carbonic  acid,  that  wiQ  be  expelled  from  the  lungs. 

What  Constittttes  a  Respiration? 

One  inhalation  or  inspiration,  and  one  exhalation  or  expiration,  con- 
stitutes one  breath,  or  respiration.  Inhalation  and  exhalation  will  always 
follow  alternately  upon  each  other  in  a  definite  space  of  time,  and  on  the 
greater  or  shorter  duration  of  these  periods  depends  what  we  call  the  meas- 
ure or  rhythm  of  respiration.  \\Tien  the  individual  is  in  a  state  of  rest, 
there  is  no  need  for  any  great  change  of  air  in  the  lungs,  and  it  will  then  be 
suf&cient  to  take  comparatively  small  or  incomplete  respirations  in  slow 
measure.  But  as  soon  as  the  individual  begins  to  move  or  work,  much 
more  air  is  needed,  and  the  more  the  effort  is  augmented  the  greater  will 
become  the  necessity  of  supplying  the  lungs  abundantly  with  fresh  air,  and 
of  getting  rid  of  the  vitiated  air,  since  all  the  chemical  processes  involved 
grow  intensive  to  a  degree  corresponding  with  the  physical  effort.     The 


27 


YiG,  5. — Front  View  of  Interior  oe  the  Human  Trunk. 

A— Diaphragm.     B— Lungs.     C— Heart.     D— Liver.     E— Stomach. 
F_Pylorus.     G,  H,  I— Colon.     J— Collar  Bones,     k— Breast  Bone.     L— Ribs. 


28 

induadual  is  thus  forced  to  take  as  complete  breaths  as  possible,  and  these 
in  much  quicker  measure.  If,  now,  the  individual  is  unable  to  expand  and 
contract  the  thorax  and  lungs  sufficiently  to  enable  the  requisite  change  of 
air  to  take  place,  he  will  get  "out  of  breath,"  succumb  to  the  effort,  and, 
if  these  conditions  are  long  sustained,  the  vital  organs  will  be  injured.  It 
is,  then,  very  important  for  every  human  being,  even  for  persons  of  sed- 
entary life,  to  develop  and  maintain  the  elasticity  of  the  respiratory  organs, 
because  nobody  knows  when  the  moment  may  arrive  when  great  exertion 
may  be  demanded  of  these  organs.  Unfortunately  so  many  people  can- 
not take  what  I  call  a  complete  breath.  Either  they  do  not  know  how  to 
do  it,  or  they  may  be  physically  unable  to  do  it.  In  the  first  case  it  is 
easily  acquired  after  a  little  steady  and  sustained  practice,  whilst  in  the 
latter  case  it  will,  of  course,  take  a  much  longer  time  to  develop  the  working 
power  of  the  breathing  organs.  Still,  it  is  always  possible  to  do  this,  ex- 
cept in  cases  of  advanced  tuberculosis  or  very  old-standing  emphysema,  or 
asthma. 

How  to  Expand  and  Contract  the  Thorax  to  its  fttllcst  Extent. 

The  thoracic  cavity  can  be  widened  during  inhalation,  and,  of  course, 
again  narrowed,  during  exhalation,  in  three  diameters,  or  in  six  different 
directions.  There  is  vertical  expansion  both  upwards  and  downwards, 
and  horizontal  expansion  in  four  directions,  namely,  to  the  left  and  right 
sides,  to  the  front,  and  backwards. 

Fig.  7  (an  orthodiagram  by  Dr.  Halls  Dally)  shows  how  the  thoracic 
cavity  is  increased  upwards,  the  collar  bones  and  the  shoulders  being  hfted. 
The  altered  position  of  the  nipples  shows  that  all  the  ribs  and  the  breast- 
bone have  also  been  raised.  At  the  same  time  the  diaphragm  has  been 
considerably  depressed,  the  result  being  a  downward  increase  of  the  thoracic 
cavity.  The  transverse  or  lateral  expansion  to  both  sides,  right  and  left, 
is  also  clearly  shown  in  Fig.  7.  In  the  case  of  a  weU-developed  athlete,  this 
lateral  expansion  will  be  still  more  considerable.  It  is  greatest  in  the  region 
of  the  lower  ribs,  because  these  ar6  much  more  movable  than  the  upper  ones. 

When  the  ribs  are  raised  and  moved  outwards  sideways,  they,  together 
with  the  breastbone  (sternum),  are  simultaneously  brought  somewhat  for- 
ward. This  constitutes  the  expansion  of  the  thorax  to  the  front  (see  Fig.  8a). 
The  work  of  moving  the  ribs  is  performed  mainly  by  several  small  muscles 
placed  upon,  between,  and  inside  the  ribs  (intercostal  muscles  and  serratus 
major).  The  large  breast  muscles,  or  pectorals,  do  not  share  at  aU  in  the 
work  of  breathing;  on  the  contrary,  if  overdeveloped,  e.  g.,  by  exercise  on 
the  parallel  bars,  they  wiU  tend  to  check  the  elasticity  of  the  thorax.  It  is, 
therefore,  from  the  point  of  view  of  breathing,  fooUsh  to  attempt  to  build 
up  a  chest  of  muscle  instead  of  enlarging  the  cavity  and  increasing  the  size 
of  the  lungs. 

Finally,  we  have  the  horizontal  backward  expansion,  forming  the  sixth 
direction  in  which  an  enlargement  of  the  thoracic  cavity  is  possible.     It  is 


29 


Fig   6.— Skeleton-like  Side-view  of  Trunk. 

A-Diaphragm.     B-Lungs.     C-Heart.     D-Liver.     E-Stomach.     K-Breast  Bone. 


30 

performed  by  a  backward  movement  of  the  whole  upper  and  middle  part 
of  the  spine  (see  Fig.  8b).  It  was  Dr.  J.  F.  Halls  Dally  who,  first  of  all, 
scientifically  established  this  fact.  He  said,  in  a  recent  lecture:  "I  can 
find  no  reference  to  this  movement  in  eight  of  the  latest  and  best  known 


Fig.  7. — Orthodiagram  by  Dr.  Halls  Dally. 

(Black  lines.     Inhalation.     Dotted  lines:  Exhalation.) 
A — Diaphragm.     C — Heart.     J — Collar  Bones.     M — Nipples.     N — Navel. 


text-books  of  physiology.  '  That  this  movement  is  actual  and  of  mechanical 
advantage  in  breathing  can  be  verified  by  visual  and  orthodiagraphic  ex- 
amination. .  .  .  Throughout  inspiration  there  is  a  backward  spinal 
movement  which  is  of  importance  in  securing  maximum  aeration  of  the 
lungs. "     (This  fact,  hitherto  quite  ignored,  is  fully  explained  by  Dr.  Halls 


31 

Dally  in  "An  Inquiry  into  the  Physiological  Mechanism  of  Respiration, 
with  especial  reference  to  the  Movements  of  the  Vertebral  Column  and 
Diaphragm."  {Joiirn.  Anat.  and  Physiol.,  Vol.  xliii.,  1908,  p.  93;  v. 
also  Proc.  Roy.  Sac,  Feb.  B.,  Vol.  Ixxx.,  1908.) 


/ 


Fig.  8a. 

The  horizontal  expansion  to  the  front  and 
backwards  during  inhalation  (dotted  lines). 


Fig.  8b. 

The  backward  movement  of  the  spine  during 
inhalation  (continuous  black  line),  according 
to  Dr.  Halls  Dally.     H— Hip  Joint. 


The  thoracic  cavity  is  again  diminished,  and  exhalation  thus  performed, 
when  the  chest  contracts  ail  over,  and  the  diaphragm  ascends  (see  the 
dotted  lines  of  Figs.  7  and  8b).  The  lowering  of  the  shoulders  and  collar- 
bones is  caused  simply  by  their  own  weight,  whilst  the  downward  and  in- 


32 

ward  movement  of  the  ribs,  sternum  and  spine,  in  ordinary  breathing,  is 
caused  partly  by  the  weight  of  the  bones  and  partly  by  the  elasticity  of  the 
whole  thorax,  when  the  inspiration  muscles  relax.  But  when  deep  breath- 
ing is  concerned,  the  ribs  should  by  definite  muscular  force,  be  pressed 
further  downwards  and  inwards.  The  result  will  be  a  triple  profit :  Firstly, 
a  much  larger  amount  of  the  vitiated  supplemental  air  will  be  driven  out  of 
the  lungs  by  each  exhalation;  secondly,  the  small  vesicles  of  the  lungs  will 
get  an  opportunity  of  contracting  to  a  fair  degree,  thereby  retaining  their 
elasticity;  and,  thirdly,  the  ribs  will  not  grow  rigid,  but  the  thorax  will  re- 
tain or  still  further  increase  its  mobility. 

Which  of  these  Six  Different  Expansions  are  the  most  effectual 
in  promoting  Free  Access  of  Air  to  the  Ltings? 

Opinions  upon  this  point  vary  greatly.  Some  authors  (as,  for  in- 
stance, the  English  doctor,  H.  H.  Hulbert)  maintain  that  the  horizontal, 
lateral  expansion  alone  gives  the  best  result,  others  (like  the  French  Lieu- 
tenant, Georges  Hebert)  assert  that  this  is  attained  only  by  the  diaphrag- 
matic movements.  And,  in  order  to  prove  their  theories,  these  authors 
point  out  that  the  lower  lobes  of  the  lungs  are  larger  than  the  upper  lobes. 
Again,  there  are  others  who  try  to  convince  us  that  the  antero-posterioral 
expansions  are  of  greater  value  than  the  lateral.  And,  finally,  there  are 
some  who  claim  just  the  same  for  the  vertical  expansion  of  the  collar-bone 
region,  even  going  so  far  as  to  declare  that  the  thorough  practice  of  this 
movement  would  result  in  the  complete  prevention  of  the  tuberculosis 
plague. 

The  whole  argument  is  not  of  much  value,  because  the  fact  remains 
that  absolutely  none  of  the  various  expansions  can  be  dispensed  with  if  com- 
plete respiration  is  to  be  performed.  On  the  other  hand,  it  ma.y  be  of  some 
interest  to  institute  a  comparison.  I  would,  therefore,  point  out  that  ver- 
tical expansion  wiU,  in  a  well-developed  male,  extend  to  about  2  inches  up- 
wards and  another  2  inches  downwards,  four  in  all;  and  horizontal  lateral 
expansion  would  be  about  the  same,  namely,  2  inches  to  each  side,  whilst 
antero-posterioral  expansion  will  very  seldom  amount  to  more  than  i^ 
inches  in  all.  The  backward  movement  of  the  spine  will  always  be  small, 
never  more  than  K  inch. 


Is  it  ever  Reasonable  to  Perform  an  Incomplete  Breath  ? 

It  seems  quite  obvious  that  for  the  healthy  working  human  being, 
especially  for  athletes,  sportsmen  and  singers,  the  only  sensible  thing  would 
be  to  employ  the  whole  capacity  of  their  lungs  when  breathing.  Never- 
theless, it  is  a  |act,  although  incomprehensible,  that  so  many  authors  of 
booklets  on  breathing  and  singing  advocate  the  use  of  one  single  part  only, 
or  of  a  few  parts,  of  the  respiratory  mechanism,  simultaneously  severely 
condemning  the  use  of  all  the  rest.     Sometimes  exclusive  abdominal  or 


33 

diaphragmatic  breathing  is  esteemed  the  only  saving  method;  sometimes 
the  so-called  lateral  costal  breathing;  now  the  upper  costal  and  now  the 
inferior  costal  method;  now  and  then  even  the  clavicular  or  collar-bone  form 
of  breathing. 

It  is  only  in  the  case  of  defects  or  ailments  of  the  chest  that  certain 
special  parts  of  the  lungs  should  be  favoured,  either  with  a  view  to  develop- 
ing such  defective  parts,  or  because  it  would  be  dangerous  to  use  any  part 
of  the  lung  that  may  have  been  injured. 

As  to  abdominal  breathing,  it  is  true  that  this  is  sufficient  when  one 
is  sleeping,  or  when  sitting  bent  over  the  writing-desk,  or  when  reading  in 
the  easy  chair,  because  in  such  cases  the  need  of  air,  or  rather  of  change  of 
gases,  is  only  very  small.  But  as  soon  as  one  moves,  more  air  is  immediately 
needed,  and  it  will  then  be  of  advantage  to  employ  the  entire  thorax.  And 
if  this  has  grown  rigid  and  immovable,  so  much  the  worse  for  its  possessor. 
A  German  arm-chair  philosopher  has  found  that  of  490  cubic  centimetres 
of  air  inhaled,  only  170  are  due  to  the  movement  of  the  diaphragm  and  320 
to  the  expansion  of  the  chest.  I  should  think  it  must  have  been  his  own 
defective  respiratory  faculty  which  he  measured,  because  I  am  sure  that 
the  above-mentioned  proportion  in  a  well-developed  athlete  or  oarsman, 
who  can  inhale  6,000  cubic  centimetres,  would  be  a  still  stronger  argument 
for  thoracic  expansion.  It  was  formerly  a  common  view  that  the  abdom- 
inal form  of  breathing  was  the  natural  one  for  men,  the  upper  chest  form 
for  women.  But  this  view  is  quite  erroneous  and  only  caused  by  bad  habit. 
When  the  lower  ribs  and  the  whole  abdomen  are  laced  immovably  in  a  cor- 
set, the  woman  is,  of  course,  compelled  to  restrict  herself  to  the  employ- 
ment of  the  upper  chest  method  alone.  And  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  repair- 
ing the  harm  done  by  such  old  habits  that  special  exercise  of  "abdominal" 
breathing  is  most  valuable  for  ladies.  And  it  is  because  it  also  constitutes 
a  valuable  massage  of  all  the  viscera,  and  further  strengthens  the  abdominal 
muscles  and  increases  the  abiUty  of  controlling  them,  that  I  have  intro- 
duced such  an  exercise  as  No.  9  into  my  "Five  Minutes  System."  We 
speak  popularly,  when  performing  this  special  breathing,  of  filling  the 
"stomach"  or  the  abdomen  with  air;  but  the  air  will,  of  course,  only  fill 
up  the  lower  lobes  of  the  lungs,  as  a  result  of  the  thoracic  cavity  having  been 
enlarged  downwards  by  the  descent  of  the  contracted  diaphragm.  What 
actually  in  this  case  causes  the  protrusion  of  the  abdomen  is,  of  course,  the 
descent  of  the  viscera,  which  are  allowed  to  sink  down  and  forwards  inside 
the  distended  abdominal  wall.  And  this  lowering  of  the  viscera  will  facili- 
tate the  descent  of  the  diaphragm,  thereby  making  this  "abdominal" 
breath  fuller.  During  the  corresponding  exhalation,  the  abdominal  wall  is 
drawn  inwards  as  much  as  possible,  and  the  intestines  are  again  pressed 
inwards  and  upwards,  whereby  the  now  relaxed  diaphragm  is  assisted  in  its 
ascent. 

Another  example  of  a  reasonable  incomplete  breath  is  explained  in  my 
hints  for  boxers  (on  p.  82).  Almost  the  whole  costal  part  of  the  breathing 
is  in  this  case  checked,  because  the  breast-bone  and  the  ribs,  especially  the 
3 


34 

lower  ones,  are  fixed  by  the  braced  abdominal  muscles.  Breathing  in  this 
case  must  be  carried  on  mainly  by  the  aid  of  the  vertical  movements  of  the 
clavdcular  region  and  of  the  diaphragm.  Again,  gymnasts  who  climb  ropes 
by  the  hands  only,  or  perform  hanging  tricks  on  the  trapeze,  the  Roman 
rings,  or  horizontal  bar,  are  dependent  on  this  special  method  of  respira- 
tion, if  they  breathe  at  aU  during  the  performance.  But  in  most  cases  they 
will  be  found  holding  their  breath,  thereby  endangering  their  vital  organs. 
Also  when  we  spend  our  time  in  crowded  halls  in  poisonous  air,  or  are  forced 
to  stay  in  badly  ventilated  rooms,  it  is  wise  to  use  an  incomplete  breath, 
thus  respiring  as  superficially  and  lightly  as  possible.  We  then  get  only 
the  smallest  possible  amount  of  poisons  into  our  bodies.  As  soon  as  we 
come  outside  into  the  open  air,  we  should,  of  course,  compensate  by  breath- 
ing very  fuUy. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  physical  exercise  performed  in  foul  air  is  worse  than 
no  exercise  at  all,  because  we  inhale  about  sixteen  times  more  air  and,  of 
course,  poisons  in  proportion,  when  exercising  than  when  resting. 

The  Secret  of  the  Diaphragm. 

Science  has  not  yet  been  able  to  unveil  this  secret.  Nobody  on  earth 
knows  exactly  what  the  diaphragm  can  perform.  Most  text-books  are, 
so  far  as  this  matter  is  concerned,  full  of  nonsense.  Let  me  remind  the 
reader  that  the  diaphragm  consists  of  a  central  tendon  surrounded  by  muscle 
fibres,  forming  two  domes,  of  which  that  on  the  right  side  of  the  body  is  the 
larger  and  higher  (see  Fig.  7  on  p.  30).  The  exterior  parts  of  these  muscle 
fibres  are  firmly  attached  aU  round — at  the  sides  to  the  inside  of  the  lower 
ribs,  in  front  to  the  breastbone,  and  to  the  spine  behind.  As  typical  ex- 
amples of  prevalent  ideas  on  this  subject,  I  give  below  some  quotations 
from  books  by  English  and  German  experts,  and  I  will  show  that  these 
ideas  are  wrong.  I  will  then  refer  to  the  investigations  of  Dr.  Halls  Daily, 
and,  finally,  explain  my  own  theory. 

In  "Breathing  for  Voice  Production"  (1903),  by  H.  H.  Hulbert,  B.A. 
(Oxon.),  M.R.C.S.,  L.R.C.P.,  etc.,  on  p.  7,  appears  the  following: — 

"Writers  and  teachers,  taking  note  only  of  the  action  of  the  diaphragm 
in  which  the  tendon  descends  when  the  ribs  are  fixed,  usually  make  the  er- 
roneous statement  that  the  ribs  can  be  elevated  and  the  diaphragm  de- 
pressed at  one  and  the  same  time.     This  is  physically  impossible." 

Dr.  Hulbert  is  here  quite  wrong.  It  is  not  only  possible  to  raise  the 
ribs  and  lower  the  diaphragm  simultaneously,  but  this  does  always  actually 
occur  when  a  correct  complete  inhalation  is  taken.  See,  for  instance,  Fig.  7, 
on  p.  30,  where  the  X-rays  clearly  show  the  diaphragm  being  depressed 
some  inches,  whilst  the  clavicles  and  the  nipples — and  thus  also  the  ribs 
— are  raised  some  inches  in  the  opposite  direction. 

On  p.  14  the  author  says:  "The  arched  muscular  floor  of  the  thorax 
is  formed  by  the  diaphragm,  wh'ich  becomes  flattened  when  it  contracts,  and 
so  it  increases  the  size  of  the  thorax  from  above  downwards.     If  the  dia- 


35 

phragm  is  unresisted  during  contraction  it  depresses  the  contents  of  the 
abdomen  and  pushes  forward  its  anterior  wall;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is 
resisted  by  the  contracted  abdominal  muscles,  the  stomach  and  Hver  are 
firmly  fixed  against  the  under  part  of  the  dome-shaped  partition.  So  that, 
when  it  contracts,  the  diaphragm  raises  the  chest  and  expands  the  ribs 

TR,A.NSVERSELY." 

Here  there  are  as  many  mistakes  as  there  are  sentences.  Firstly,  if 
the  abdominal  muscles  are  contracted  or  braced,  it  is  impossible  to  expand 
the  ribs.^  And,  secondly,  even  if  it  were  possible,  how  could  it  be  per- 
formed by  the  diaphragm,  which  is  attached  to  the  inside  of  all  the  lower 
ribs?  If  the  diaphragm  contracts,  i.  e.,  shortens  its  muscle  fibres,  it  will,  of 
course,  bring  the  ribs  nearer  to  each  other  and  thereby  narrow  the  chest. 
When  the  ribs  are  really  widened  and  the  chest  raised  during  inhalation, 
this  must  certainly  be  the  result  of  a  force  stronger  than  the  diaphragm  it- 
self. 

And  further,  on  p.  15:  ''How,  then,  do  we  gain  the  greatest  expansion 
of  lung,  and  how  can  we  best  control  our  breathing?  The  author  (Dr.  Hul- 
bert)  submits  that  this  is  accompHshed  by  fixing  the  diaphragm,  through 
THE  ACTION  OF  THE  ABDOinNAL  MUSCLES;  for,  by  this  method,  the  lower 
ribs  are  most  efficiently  raised." 

And,  on  p.  26:  "By  drawing  in  the  front  wall  of  the  abdomen,  the  or- 
gans are  fixed  in  the  arch  of  the  diaphragm.     This  is  the  first  step  to  be 

TAKEN  IN  lateral  COSTAL  BREATHING." 

Here  once  more  Dr.  Hulbert  is  wrong.  If  we  simply  draw  in  the  front 
wall  of  the  abdomen,  the  descent  of. the  diaphragm  is  impeded,  and  we  shall 
not  get  the  lower  lobes  of  the  lungs  fuUy  inflated;  and,  if  we  contract  or 
brace  this  abdominal  wall,  it  will  be  quite  impossible  to  raise  the  lower  ribs, 
and  we  shall  never  get  a  full  breath.  It  is  so  simple  that  everybody  can 
try  it  on  himself.  On  p.  9,  Dr.  Hulbert  gives  a  quotation  from  an 
"authoritative"  anatomical  work,  Quain's  "Text-Book  of  Anatomy." 
Let  me  quote  a  few  passages  from  this  work: — 

"The  action  of  the  diaphragm  is  more  easily  understood  than  that 
of  the  intercostal  muscles.  By  its  contraction  and  descent  its  convexity 
is  diminished,  the  abdominal  viscera  are  pressed  downward,  and  the  thorax 
expanded  vertically.  The  fibres  arising  from  the  ribs,  being  directed  nearly 
vertically  upwards  from  their  origins,  must  tend  to  raise  those  ribs;  and 
Duchenne  has  shown  that  the  contraction  of  the  diaphragm  by  itself  ele- 
vates and  expands  the  ribs  to  which  it  is  attached,  but  only  so  long  as  the 
vault  of  the  muscle  is  supported  by  the  abdominal  viscera;  for,  when  they 
are  removed,  it  no  longer  has  that  action.  .  .  .  The  keynote  of  the 
position  is  in  the  action  of  the  diaphragm  described  by  Duchenne,  who  has 
shown  that  the  contraction  of  the  diaphragm  by  itself  elevates  and  expands 
the  ribs  to  which  it  is  attached  so  long  as  the  vault  of  the  muscle  is  sup- 
ported by  the  abdominal  viscera." 

'  On  the  other  hand,  this  is  easy  if  the  abdominal  wall  is  only  drawn  inwards;   but  that  does  not 
constitute  the  movement  necessary  for  controlling  the  voice. 


36 

Further,  on  p.  13,  Dr.  Hulbert  writes:  "By  this  method  of  breathing — 
which  we  will  henceforth  call  the  Lateral  Costal  method — the  con- 
tracted abdominal  muscles  fix  the  stomach  and  Hver  in  the  arch  of  the  dia- 
phragm, so  that  in  its  contraction  it  expands  and  raises  the  chest  during 
inspiration.  .  .  .  It  is  maintained  by  the  author  (Dr.  Hulbert)  that 
this  is  the  explanation  of  the  method  used  by  the  old  Itahan  School,  in 
which  it  was  taught  that  the  abdominal  wall  should  be  slightly  retracted 
— that  is,  that  the  abdominal  muscles  should  be  contracted,  and  the  vault  of 
the  diaphragm  supported,  and  that  a  fuU  inspiration  be  taken,  by  which  the 
diaphragm  raises  and  expands  the  chest." 

Let  us  investigate  all  these  curious  assertions  a  little.  It  is  here  said 
that  the  fibres  of  the  diaphragm,  arising  from  the  ribs,  are  directed  nearly 
vertically  upwards  from  their  origins,  and,  therefore,  they  should  be  able 
to  raise  and  expand  the  ribs.  Firstly,  as  to  the  faculty  of  raising  the  ribs, 
this  could  be  understood  if  the  diaphragm  were  really  stationary.  But,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  7,  on  p.  30,  the  diaphragm  descends  about  2  inches  at  the  same 
time  as  the  ribs  are  raised  another  2  inches.  Seen  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  ribs,  the  diaphragm  thus  sinks  about  4  inches.  How,  then,  is  it  possible 
to  imagine  that  it  is  the  diaphragm  which  has  effected  the  elevation  of  the 
ribs?  At  all  events,  not  unless  it  was  done  by  the  aid  of  a  mechanism  of 
puUeys!  But  such  a  mechanism  does  not  exist.  Secondly,  as  to  the  ex- 
panding of  the  ribs,  I  have  already  proved  that  a  diaphragm,  which  shortens 
its  muscular  fibres,  wiU  always  have  a  tendency  to  contract  the  ribs,  never 
of  expanding  them,  because  it  is  attached  to  the  inside  of  them.  Further, 
let  us  see  what  sort  of  "support"  the  abdominal  viscera  should  be  able  to 
give  the  vault  or  tendon  of  the  diaphragmatic  muscle.  Can  the  reader 
imagine  the  viscera  being  harder  or  stronger  than  an  iron  chain  or  a  thick 
string?  Well,  it  is  a  fact  that  some  men  are  so  strong  that  they  are  able  to 
break  a  chain,  put  around  the  chest,  by  expanding  the  ribs.  According  to 
the  fallacious  theory  cited  above  it  is  the  diaphragm  which  extends  the  ribs, 
which  imphes  that  the  hver  and  stomach  must  be  as  hard  as  stone;  for,  as 
they  do  not  give  way,  the  poor  chain  has  to  go!  That  the  conception  of  the 
viscera  acting  as  a  firm  support  for  the  working  diaphragm  is  nonsense  is 
obvious  when  one  remembers  that  the  diaphragm  descends  each  time  that 
the  ribs  are  expanded  during  inhalation,  and  thus  exerts  a  downward  pres- 
sure upon  the  always  soft  \'iscera.  (The  abdomen  then  protrudes  a  little, 
but  when  the  ribs,  during  further  inhalation,  are  raised  and  expanded  still 
more,  the  skin  is,  of  course,  tightened  and  the  abdominal  wall  somewhat 
flattened.) 

In  German  books  we  find  precisely  similar  wrong  ideas  concerning 
the  diaphragm.  For  instance,  in  Dr.  Keller-Hoerschelmann's  "Mein 
Atmungssystem, "  pp.  44  and  45:  "Let  us  first  consider  Inspiration.  By 
the  contraction  of  the  diaphragm  the  thorax  is  expanded  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  ribs  are  raised,  and  that  outwards,  but  only  so  long  as  the  viscera 
fill  the  abdomen.  If  the  resistance  of  the  viscera  is  lacking — then  the  ribs 
will  contract.     ,     .     .     The  diaphragm  needs  the  support  of  the  viscera 


37 

to  be  able  to  raise  and  expand  the  ribs.  But  if  strong  abdominal  muscles 
are  present,  these  wUl  brace  themselves  without  contracting,  and  will  furnish 
the  abdominal  cavity,  at  the  sides  and  to  the  front,  with  firm  walls  which 
win  not  give  way.  When  the  viscera  are  thus  unable  to  escape,  they  must 
themselves  withstand  the  pressure,  and  are  somewhat  compressed,  whereby 
they  make  a  firm  support  for  raising  and  expanding  the  ribs."  The  same 
description  is  found  verbatim  in  Dr.  Paul  Jaerschky's  "Koerperpfiege,"  pp. 
39-40.  What  a  laboured  method  of  explaining  the  simple  process  of 
inhalation! 


Dr.  J.  F.  Halls  Dally  on  the  Diaphragm. 

For  thirteen  years  Dr.  Halls  Dally  has  been  engaged  in  investigating 
the  subject  of  respiration,  both  in  human  beings  and  animals.  He  has  come 
nearer  the  truth  than  any  other  hving  man  of  science.  Amongst  other 
things,  he  proved  that  the  old  theory  as  to  the  flattening  of  the  diaphragmatic 
domes  is  pure  fancy.  He  found  that  they  move  up  and  down  after  the 
fashion  of  a  piston.  In  his  chnical  lecture,  "Respiration  in  Health  and 
Disease,"  he  says  (p.  12)  the  following  concerning  the  movement  of  the 
diaphragm: — 

"For  any  adequate  description  of  this  movement  you  wiU  consult  in 
vain  most  of  the  standard  works  on  physiology.  Until  the  present  date 
.  most  of  these  works  state  that  during  inspiration  the  central  tendon  of  the 
diaphragm  remains  fixed,  while  the  domes  flatten  in  descent,  this  supposed 
action  being  illustrated  in  many  cases  by  imaginative  diagrams.  In  point 
of  fact  no  such  action  takes  place.  It  is  true  that  on  orthodiagraphic  ex- 
amination in  subjects  with  well-developed  diaphragmatic  descent,  a  slight 
depression  is  sometimes  seen  just  external  to  the  summit  of  the  right  dome, 
this  being  due  to  the  strong  downward  puU  of  the  right  crus;  and  that  in 
some  people  with  marked  raising  of  the  lower  ribs  the  convexity  of  the  dome 
represents  the  arc  of  a  slightly  larger  circle  than  it  does  in  expiration;  but 
with  these  minor  exceptions,  which  I  only  mention  for  the  sake  of  complete- 
ness, it  is  incorrect  to  state  that  any  flattening  of  the  domes  occurs.  As  I 
pointed  out  in  1903,  the  curve  of  the  convexity  on  each  side  is  unaltered  in 
descent,  and  each  half — although  attached  to  its  fellow  of  the  opposite  side 
by  the  central  tendon — by  means  of  its  own  separate  innervation  through 
the  phrenic  nerve,  acts  quite  independently.     .     .     ." 

Again,  "This  second  movement  (a  raising  and  lateral  movement  of  the 
lower  set  of  ribs)  is  also  caused  by  the  diaphragm,  which,  having  by  this 
time  descended  until  its  central  tendon  exerts  firm  continuous  pressure  upon 
the  intra-abdominal  viscera,  now  executes  the  second  part  of  its  dual  action 
in  contracting  its  ring  of  costal  fibres.  These,  being  attached  at  an  oblique 
angle  to  the  ribs,  in  contraction  raise  the  ribs  upwards  and  outwards,  being 
aided  by  the  external  intercostals  and  intercartilaginous  portions  of  the 
internal  intercostals." 

As  we  may  see,  Dr.  Halls  Dally  has  not  quite  emancipated  himself  from 


38 

the  old  theory  of  the  diaphragm  as  a  rib-moving  power.  The  explanation 
is,  I  think,  that  the  X-ray  photographs  and  orthodiagrams  certainly  give 
an  exact  illustration  of  facts,  but  they  do  not  tell  us  anything  about  the 
cause  and  effect  of  what  we  see. 

My  own  Theories  about  the  Diaphragm. 

When  we  breathe  very  quietly — for  instance,  when  sleeping — the  dia- 
phragm "pulsates"  on  its  own  account,  and  that  quite  unconsciously,  in  a 
manner  similar  to  the  beating  of  the  heart.  In  this  case  the  sUght  con- 
tractions and  relaxations  of  the  diaphragm  form  almost  the  only  motive 
power  of  our  breathing.  But  when  more  change  of  air  is  needed,  part  or 
the  whole  of  the  thorax  expands  and  contracts,  moved  by  muscles  which. 


Fig.  9. — Skeleton-like  Illustration  oe  the  way  in  "W'hich  the  Ribs 
MOVE  the  Diaphragm,  according  to  the  Author's  Theory. 

in  well-developed  individuals,  are  much  stronger  than  the  diaphragm. 
Even  if  it  stUl  continue  its  own  small  "pulsations,"  the  diaphragm  is  now, 
as  a  whole,  forced  to  give  way  to  the  movements  of  the  lower  ribs  and  ster- 
num, to  which  it  is  attached.  It  will  be  easily  understood  that,  when  the 
ribs  are  brought  nearer  to  each  other,  the  whole  middle  part  of  the  dia- 
phragm will  move  upwards;  and  when  the  ribs  are  moved  away  from  each 
other,  this  central  portion  of  the  diaphragm  will  sink,  even  though  the  ribs 
are  at  the  same  time  somewhat  raised.  It  is  only  the  outer  annular  border 
or  margin  of  the  diaphragm  which  is  brought  into  a  nearly  vertical  position 
when  the  ribs  are  contracted,  and  into  an  almost  horizontal  position  when 
the. ribs  are  expanded  and  raised,  whilst  the  central  part,  including  the 
domes,  will  move  up  and  down  without  materially  altering  its  shape.  The 
skeleton-like  Fig.  g  shows  these  movements.     When  the  points  A  and  B  of 


39 


YiQ^  10.— A  Practical  Demonstration  of  the  Author's  Theory  as 
TO  THE   Movements  of  the  Diaphragm. 

When    A    A    (representing    the    lowest     points    of    the    ribs)    rise    to    B    B,    the    whole     middle 
part  of  the  carpenter's  rule  (representing  the  domes  of  the  diaphragm)  must  sink. 


40 

the  ribs  move  outwards  and  upwards  to  a  and  h  respectively,  the  domes 
will  sink,  but  are  quite  able  to  keep  their  shape. 

In  the  photographs  of  Fig.  lo,  a  quite  practical  demonstration  is  given 
of  the  relation  between  the  movements  of  ribs  and  diaphragm  respectively. 
Any  reader  possessing  a  carpenter's  rule  can  try  this  experiment  for  him- 
self, and  thus  become  convinced  of  the  soundness  of  natural  laws,  whilst  aU 
former  theories  are  at  variance  with  these  of  my  theory,  which  explains 
these  movements  in  accordance  with  laws. 

The  muscles  which  move  the  ribs  are  the  various  intercostal  muscles 
and  the  serratus  major. 

I  think  there  exists  a  good  deal  of  old  superstition  about  the  diaphragm, 
this  mysterious  organ,  which,  nevertheless,  every  man  in  the  street,  in  his 
own  fancy,  knows  just  as  well  as  his  pocket. 

I  am  convinced  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  move  the  diaphragm  sep- 
arately, intentionally  or  voluntarily,  although,  of  course,  we  move  it  in- 
directly by  moving  the  ribs  or  the  abdominal  muscles.  It  would  be  easier 
to  beUeve  it  to  be  true,  as  is  asserted,  that  certain  Hindus  are  able  to  arrest 
the  pulsation  of  their  hearts  for  a  short  period,  because  we  can  locate  the 
heart  both  by  feehng  and  by  hearing  it.  And  in  such  cases  it  is  easier  to 
get  a  connection  of  nerve  between  the  brain  and  the  organ  in  question.  But 
the  diaphragm  cannot  be  perceived  through  any  of  our  senses,  and  I,  there- 
fore, maintain  it  is  impossible  to  estabhsh  direct  nervous  contact  with  it. 
I  know  that  many  people  will  assert  that  such  movements  as  are  illustrated 
in  Figs.  44  and  45  are  caused  by  the  diaphragm;  but  it  is  impossible  to  ex- 
plain how  the  diaphragm  can  achieve  such  results.  And  there  is  surely  no 
reason  why  the  diaphragm  should  perform  a  thing  which  is  easily  done  by 
the  abdominal  muscles.  The  diaphragm  is  a  quietly  and  unconsciously 
working  breathing  muscle.  But  it  is  easy  to  perform  the  movements  of 
Figs.  44  and  45  without  breathing;  or  even  when  breathing  in  the  exactly 
opposite  way,  as  shown  in  Figs.  11  and  12,  where  Fig.  11  represents  the 
fullest  possible  inhalation,  and  Fig.  1 2  the  exhalation. 

The  direct  proof  of  the  fact  that  nobody  can  move  his  diaphragm  vol- 
untarily, or  come  into  direct  nervous  contact  with  it,  is  that  aU  the  sensa- 
tions which  people  imagine  that  they  have  in  the  diaphragm  are  always 
actually  in  the  abdominal  wall,  or  perhaps  in  the  stomach  or  intestines.  If 
you  ask  a  person  to  point  out  where  he  thinks  his  diaphragm  is,  he  will,  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten,  put  his  finger  near  the  navel,  or  at  all  events  not  higher 
than  on  a  level  with  the  openings  of  the  lower  pockets  of  his  waistcoat.  But 
the  diaphragm  is  really  situated  much  higher  on  the  front  of  the  chest, 
above  the  point  of  the  breastbone  (see  Fig.  6  on  p.  29),  that  is,  on  a  level 
with  the  upper  pockets  of  the  waistcoat. 

Further,  I  have  met  several  elderly  military  men  whose  ribs,  breast- 
bone and  spine  had  grown  quite  rigid,  thereby  rendering  the  whole  thorax 
absolutely  immovable.  During  many  years  they  had  breathed  only  by 
using  the  diaphragm.     One  would  suppose  that  this  would,  in  consequence, 


42 

have  grown  very  strong,  because  every  muscle  which  is  much  used  develops. 
But  why,  then,  was  the  diaphragm  muscle  in  these  cases  not  able  to  move 
the  ribs?  If,  after  all,  it  was  at  any  time  possible  for  the  diaphragm  to 
move  the  ribs,  it  should  surely  have  occurred  in  such  cases  of  very  strong 
and  practised  diaphragms. 

I  know  \;ery  well  that  experiments  have  been  performed  in  which  the 
diaphragm  was  paralysed  by  injection,  after  which  it  turned  out  that  the 
ribs  could  not  be  moved  so  much  as  before.  This  was  regarded  as  a  proof 
that  it  was  the  diaphragm  which  moved  the  ribs.  But  in  my  opinion  this 
phenomenon  may  be  explained  as  follows: — 

When  the  diaphragm  is  not  paralysed  it  readily  follows  the  movement 
of  the  ribs;  but,  if  it  be,  it  will  hang  on  to  the  ribs  as  a  dead  weight,  hin- 
dering their  movements. 

It  is,  after  aU,  not  the  laity  alone  who  imagine  that  the  diaphragm  is  a 
voluntary  muscle.  For  instance,  recently  I  found,  in  the  British  Medical 
Journal  of  August  30th,  19 13,  the  following  sentence  in  the  report  of  the 
sub-committee  for  voice  training,  appointed  by  the  University  of  London: 
"Breathing  for  voice,  as  contrasted  with  the  breathing  of  repose,  which  is 
automatic  and  mainly  diaphragmatic,  presents  certain  new  factors.  Of 
these  the  employment  of  the  diaphragm  as  a  voluntary  muscle  is  probably 
the  most  important. 

"When  the  diaphragm  acts  in  this  way,  in  addition  to  its  descent,  which 
is  the  more  obvious  result,  the  lower  ribs  are  elevated,  increasing  the  trans- 
verse diameter  of  the  body  at  this  level,  this  providing  additional  space  at 
that  part  of  the  abdominal  cavity  for  the  viscera  displaced  by  the  descent 
of  the  diaphragm." 

This  somewhat  vaguely  expressed  quotation  seems  still  further  to  sug- 
gest that  it  is  the  diaphragm  which  in  this  case  elevates  the  lower  ribs. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  VARIOUS  METHODS  OF  TAKING  A 
COMPLETE  BREATH* 

Which  is  the  Best  Form  of  Breathing  ? 

The  best  breath  is  that  which,  in  the  easiest  and  most  natural  way, 
with  the  least  strain  of  muscle  or  conscious  effort,  and  in  the  shortest  space 
of  time,  gives  the  largest  supply  of  fresh  air  and  the  most  complete  expulsion 
of  vitiated  air. 

Description  of  my  Ordinary  Complete  Breath  (or,  the  Relieving 
Deep-Breathing  Exercise). 

This  has  already  been  explained  in  the  various  editions  of  "My  Sys- 
tem" for  men,  for  ladies,  and  for  children.  All  the  experience  I  have  had 
since  I  wrote  my  first  book,  and  all  my  later  theoretical  studies  and  prac- 
tical examinations  of  thousands  of  living  human  beings,  have  confirmed  my 
conviction  that  "my  complete  breath"  is  the  most  efficacious  and,  at  the 
same  time,  the  easiest  form  of  deep-breathing.  And  being  also  the  quick- 
est manner  of  completely  inflating  the  lungs,  it  is  the  most  useful  for  ath- 
letes and  sportsmen.  I  wiU  now  describe  it  stiU  more  fully  than  I  did  in 
my  earher  works: — 

Stand  erect,  with  heels  together  and  the  body  well  balanced  upon  the 
whole  of  your  feet.  The  hands  should  rest  on  the  hips,  the  shoulders  thus 
being  partly  reheved  of  the  weight  of  the  arms.  Lean  the  head  very  sKghtly 
back.  Open  the  nostrils  as  wide  as  possible.  Stretch  the  whole  upper 
part  of  the  trunk  upwards,  simultaneously  moving  the  lower  ribs  outwards, 
and  that  chiefly  sideways,  but  also  somewhat  forwards,  together  with  the 
breastbone.  The  air  will  then  rush  in  and  fill  every  part  of  the  lungs.  This 
combined  lifting  and  widening  of  the  thorax  resembles,  to  some  extent,  the 
movements  of  an  umbrella  whose  cover  is  loose  on  the  stick.  When  we 
open  it  a  little,  the  cover  will  at  the  same  time  slip  up  towards  the  ferrule, 
which  in  this  comparison  represents  our  head,  the  stick  representing  our 
neck,  the  latter  being  thus  apparently  shortened.  The  inflation  of  the 
lungs  is  performed  quite  automatically,  owing  to  the  vacuum  which  is  cre- 
ated in  the  interior.  Hence  it  is  quite  wrong  to  suppose  that  by  sniffing 
or  sucking,  more  air  can  be  inhaled.  On  the  contrary,  this  will  probably 
cause  a  partial  closing  of  the  nostrils,  since  the  air,  when  sniffed  in,  will  have 
a  tendency  to  drive  the  wings  of  the  nose  into  contact  with  the  middle  wall. 
If  the  inhalation  is  accompanied  with  a  loud  noise,  then  you  may  be  sure 


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that  the  nostrils  are  not  opened  so  widely  as  they  ought  to  be.  Fig.  3,  on  p. 
20,  shows  the  nostrils  well  widened,  whilst  Fig.  4  shows  how  the  same  nos- 
trils are  closed  by  sucking  or  sniffing.  It  is  a  good  practice  to  stand  be- 
fore a  mirror  and  exercise  the  small  muscles  which  move  the  "wings"  of  the 
nose. 

It  is  a  great  mistake,  during  this  inhalation,  to  force  the  elbows  and 
shoulders  backwards  and  to  bring  the  upper  part  of  the  chest  into  a  cramped 
and  highly  arched  position.  It  is  too  hard  a  strain  compared  with  the  re- 
sult it  gives.  The  upper  lobes  of  the  lungs  wiU  be  filled  in  an  easy  and 
gentle  manner  simply  by  the  above-mentioned  lifting  of  shoulders  and 
clavicles. 

It  is  also  a  mistake  to  make  a  conscious  effort  to  secure  the  diaphrag- 
matic or  abdominal  part  of  this  complete  breath  by  distending  the  abdomen. 
This  will  come  quite  unconsciously,  because  the  diaphragm  must  sink  when 
the  ribs  are  widened,  if  only  you  do  not  hinder  it  by  forcibly  drawing  the 
abdomen  inwards.  That  is  a  very  great  mistake:  the  abdominal  wall 
should  be  kept  in  a  natural  relaxed  position.  In  case  of  an  individual  with 
a  very  flexible  thorax,  the  widening  and  Hfting  of  the  ribs  to  any  great  ex- 
tent will,  of  course,  straighten  and  flatten  the  abdomen  somewhat,  but  there 
should  not  be  any  trace  of  voluntary  movement  of  the  abdominal  muscles. 
So  that  the  only  thing  to  which  to  pay  special  attention  is  the  movement 
of  the  whole  thorax,  which  is  an  easy  thing  for  animals  and  healthy  children. 
But  many  adult  human  beings  have  quite  forgotten  how  to  exercise  this 
valuable  faculty,  elderly  gentlemen  using  only  the  small  abdominal  breath, 
elderly  ladies  only  the  short  clavicular  breath.  It  can,  however,  in  most 
cases  be  easily  learned  again.  By  trying  it  constantly  during  a  few  days 
the  person  will  soon  find  out  which  nerves  control  the  intercostal  muscles 
and  serratus  major.  By  practice,  these  muscles  will  by  degrees  grow 
stronger,  and,  finally,  be  capable  of  moving  the  ribs  and  thereby  the  dia- 
phragm to  their  utmost  hmit.  Fig.  13  gives  a  front  view  and  Fig.  15  a  side 
view  of  the  correct  pose  for  inhalation.  Fig.  17  shows  a  wrong  way  of  lift- 
ing the  shoulders  without  raising  simultaneously  the  whole  upper  part  of 
the  trunk.  The  complete  exhalation  is  performed  by  the  precisely  opposite 
movements.  The  chin,  shoulders  and  upper  thorax  are  again  lowered.  The 
breastbone  and  the  ribs  are  sunk  in  consequence  of  the  relaxation  of  the 
external  intercostal  muscles,  following  upon  which  the  ribs  are  pressed  fur- 
ther inwards  by  aid  of  the  internal  intercostal  muscles.  The  abdominal 
part  of  the  full  exhalation  will  take  place  quite  unconsciously.  It  is  not  a 
mistake  here — as  it  was  during  the  inhalation — to  draw  in  the  abdomen, 
but  it  is  not  at  all  necessary:  the  relaxed  diaphragm  will  move  upwards, 
and  be  instrumental  in  expelling  the  foul  air,  even  if  the  viscera  do  not  press 
upwards  against  it.  It  is,  therefore,  better  to  omit  this  extra  work  of  the 
abdominal  movement  here,  because  my  complete  breath  should  be  in  the 
nature  of  a  relief. 

As  to  the  most  important  thing,  the  movement  of  the  ribs,  it  is,  of 
course,  a  very  easy  matter  to  allow  them  to  sink  down.     The  pressing 


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48 

inwards  and  downwards  which  follows  is  more  difficult,  and  will  in  most 
cases  require  some  practice  before  it  can  be  performed  correctly.  The  ribs 
may  have  lost  their  elasticity,  in  which  case  they  can  only  with  difficulty 
be  moved  by  the  intercostal  muscles.  It  is  a  good  plan  for  beginners  to 
assist  with  the  hands  in  the  following  manner:  Take  them  away  from  the 
hips  and  lay  the  palms  against  the  lower  part  of  the  chest,  the  thumbs  point- 
ing upwards.  A  pressure,  becoming  graduaUy  more  severe,  should  then 
be  exerted  inwards  against  the  lower  ribs,  thereby  bringing  them  nearer  to 
each  other.  Fig.  14  gives  a  front  view  and  Fig.  16  a  side  view  of  the  cor- 
rect pose  for  exlialation,  without  any  special  abdominal  movement.  Note 
the  great  difference  between  the  positions  of  the  lower  ribs  in  Figs.  13  and 
14  respectively.  Fig.  18  shows  the  correct  position  of  the  pahns  when 
assisting  in  the  last  part  of  the  complete  exhalation. 

I  have  studied  scores  of  booklets,  most  of  them  Continental,  describing 
hundreds  of  various  methods  of  breathing.  But  I  have  never  seen  what  I 
caU  "my  ordinary  complete  breath"  explained  before.  This  is  the  more  re- 
markable since  it  is  the  most  natural  and  easy  way  of  changing  the  largest 
possible  amount  of  air  in  the  lungs.  And  this  is  just  what  the  practical 
sportsman,  athlete  or  working  man  requires  to  attain  by  respiration.  The 
reason  may  be  that  aU  the  above-mentioned  booklets  have  been  written 
either  by  indoor  students  of  theoretical  science,  for  whom  shallow  breathing 
has  always  sufficed  (as  distinguished  from  the  case  of  the  yi  mile  runner 
when  the  winning-post  has  just  been  passed) ;  or  by  athletic  authors  who 
lack  the  amount  of  education  and  study  necessary  for  describing  just  what 
goes  on  in  the  interior  of  the  body.  Most  of  such  authors  advocate  only 
one  of  the  various  forms  of  breathing,  simultaneously  condemning  aU  the 
others.  One  says  that  abdominal  breathing  is  the  best  and  only  natural 
method,  another  assures  us  that  this  very  same  abdominal  breathing  is  un- 
healthy and  deforming.  Some  praise  the  special  clavicular  method  as  the 
best,  because  it  prevents  consumption  and  improves  the  bearing  of  the 
body;  but  others  call  it  "the  worst  form  of  breathing  known  to  man,  an 
energy-wasting,  poor-returns  plan,  which  causes  many  diseases  of  the  organs 
and  often  results  in  harsh,  disagreeable  voice. "     And  so  on. 

The  Hind«-Yogi  Breathing. 

Only  twice  have  I  seen  advocated  a  combination  of  the  three  main 
forms  of  breathing.  Let  me  first  mention  the  "Yogi  complete  breath," 
as  described  in  the  Hindu- Yogi  philosophical  books.  This  is  far  more 
complicated  and  difficult  to  perform  than  my  complete  breath.  In  the 
Yogi  complete  breath  the  student  is  instructed  first  to  fill  the  lower  lobes 
of  the  lungs,  pushing  the  abdomen  forwards,  then  successively  to  push  out 
the  ribs,  first  the  lower  and  then  the  upper  ones,  afterwards  to  protrude  the 
upper  chest,  and,  finally,  again  to  draw  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen  in- 
wards. The  exhalation  is  performed  firstly  by  drawing  the  abdomen  still 
farther  inwards  and  lifting  it  upwards,  the  chest  being  fixed  during  the  ex- 


4Q 

halation  and  not  relaxed  until  the  air  is  entirely  exhaled,  when,  finally,  also 
the  abdomen  is  relaxed.  What  an  amount  of  superfluous  work  for  the 
brain  and  straining  of  muscles!  And  the  Yogis  call  it  the  only  natural 
method  of  breathing!  Both  the  inhalation  and  the  exhalation  comprise 
each  of  them,  two  abdominal  movements — four  in  all!  And  to  protrude 
the  upper  chest  is  much  harder  work  than  my  raising  of  the  shoulders  and 
collar-bones;  furthermore,  I  am  convinced  that  the  latter  movement  is 
much  more  effective  for  the  purpose  of  filling  the  upper  lobes.  And  why 
should  we  fail  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  natural  elasticity  of  the  thorax,  and 
the  good  intercostal  muscles,  for  exhaUng?  I  will  not  deny  that  the  Yogi 
books  contain  several  good  hints  on  hygienic  matters.  But  it  is  rather  diffi- 
cult to  find  them  and  pick  them  out  amongst  the  abundant  flow  of  language 
wherein  they  are  concealed.  The  Yogis  have,  amongst  other  things,  three 
special  modes  of  respiration,  viz.,  "the  Yogi  cleansing  breath,"  "the  Yogi 
nerve  vitaUsing  breath,"  and  "the  Yogi  vocal  breath,"  each  of  them  elab- 
orately and  profusely  described.  But  I  will  undertake  to  prove  to  anyone 
who  is  interested  that  the  "nerve  vitahsing"  and  the  "vocal"  breaths  are 
of  just  as  much  (or  as  little)  use  for  ventilating  the  lungs  as  the  "cleansing" 
breath;  that  the  "vocal"  and  the  "cleansing"  breaths  are  just  as  milch 
(or  as  little)  stimulating  to  the  nerves  as  the  "nerve  vitalising"  breath;  or 
that  the  "cleansing"  and  the  "nerve  vitalizing"  breaths  are  of  just  as  much 
(or  as  Kttle)  service  in  developing  the  .voice  as  the  "vocal  breath. "  In  most 
of  the  Yogi  breaths  instruction  is  given  to  exhale  vigorously  through  the 
mouth,  sometimes  there  is  even  added:  "in  one  great  breath  through  the 
wide-opened  mouth. "  That  this  method  is  wrong,  and  even  in  the  long 
run  dangerous,  I  have  proved  in  the  foregoing  chapters.  The  greatest  part 
of  the  Yogi  philosophy  consists  of  words,  words,  words.  But  very  plausible 
words,  I  concede. 

Df*  Halls  Dally^s  **Full  Cycle  of  Complete  Respiration** 

is  the  second  combination  I  have  found  of  the  three  main  forms  of  breath- 
ing. He  describes  it  himself  as  follows:  "Following  expiration,  there 
occurs  a  sUght  passive  protrusion  of  the  anterior  abdominal  wall.  This 
corresponds  to  the  initial  active  contraction  of  the  crura  and  sternal  fibres 
of  the  diaphragm,  which  constitutes,  as  I  have  just  said,  the  first  act  in  in- 
spiration. Next,  following  in  even  and  orderly  sequence,  comes  a  raising 
of  the  lower  or  diaphragmatic  set  of  ribs,  together  with  backward  expansion 
of  the  chest  over  the  area  corresponding  to  the  lower  lobes,  the  lateral  move- 
ment being  the  more  marked  of  the  two.  .  .  .  The  third  and  last  move- 
ment consists  in  full  inflation  of  the  part  of  the  chest  corresponding  to  the 
upper  or  costal  set  of  ribs,  caused  by  the  raising  of  these  by  the  external 
intercostals  and  intercartilaginei,  accompanied  by  an  extension  of  the 
thoracic  curvature,  together  with  a  slight  backward  swing  of  the  thoracic 
spine  as  a  whole.  The  whole  of  these  acts,  which  in  complete  breathing 
glide  into  one  another,  constitute  what  I  have  termed  'the  complete  cycle 
4 


50 

of  full  inflation.'  At  the  end  of  this  series  of  movements  the  chest  will  be 
found  to  be  expanded  to  its  fullest  extent  in  all  three  diameters.  There- 
upon the  chest  is  deflated,  the  supplemental  air  being  driven  out  by  power- 
ful contraction  of  the  abdominal  muscles.  Thus  is  performed  the  full  cycle 
of  complete  respiration." 

I  am  satisfied  that  this  complete  breath  of  Dr.  Halls  Dally  is  much 
better  than  that  of  the  Yogis.  But  I  still  think  there  is  no  real  reason 
why  we  should  not  use  all  the  lobes  of  our  lungs  at  once  and  simultaneously. 
At  aU  events,  we  are  bound  to  do  so  as  soon  as  we  put  our  theoretical  deep- 
breathing  into  actual  practice  in  athletic  exercises,  games  and  sports.  For 
this  reason  I  recommend  my  own  complete  breath. 

The  Great  Mistake  of  Swedish  Gymnastics, 

As  already  mentioned,  we  ought  to  use  also  the  clavicular  or  upper- 
chest  breathing  to  a  fair  degree,  in  order  to  bring  the  upper  lobes  into  ac- 
tivity, which  is  important  for  preventing  phthisis  or  consumption.  But  it 
is  a  very  serious  mistake  to  endeavour  to  carry  out  all  the  deep-breathing 
by  this  method  alone.  Nevertheless,  you  will  find  this  mistake  both  in  the 
text  and  the  diagrams  of  most  books  on  Swedish  gymnastics,  or  based  on 
Swedish  principles.  A  good  carriage  of  the  chest  is  a  splendid  thing,  but 
the  Swedish  system  proves  that  it  is  possible  to  over-estimate  the  value  of 
this  carriage  to  such  a  degree  that  other  things  of.  equal  importance  are  al- 
most forgotten.  The  upper-chest  form  of  breathing  is  assimied  to  improve 
the  carriage,  and  is,  therefore,  reconmiended,  while  the  abdominal  form  is 
suppressed.  And,  even  in  general,  respiration  is  the  Cinderella  of  the 
Swedish  system.  Take,  for  instance,  "Haandbog  i  Gymnastlk"  (]\Ianual 
of  G\Tnnastics) ,  compiled  by  the  "Board  of  G>Tnnastics, "  Copenhagen, 
1899  (the  Board  consisting  of  a  professor  of  the  university,  two  municipal 
doctors,  a  mflitary  doctor,  two  oflicers,  and  a  gymnastic  director,  from  the 
institute  at  Stockholm).  The  book,  which  professes  to  be  an  improvement 
on  the  Swedish  system,  has  476  pages,  and  all  sorts  of  exercises  are  abun- 
dantly described  and  illustrated.  But  the  chapter  on  "breathing  exercises" 
consists  only  of  one  very  small  half -page  without  a  single  illustration.  In  a 
few  lines,  a  sort  of  upper-chest  inhalation  is  described,  but  there  is  nothing 
at  aU  mentioned  about  exhalation;  the  very  word  is  not  to  be  found  in  the 
book! 

Considering,  firstly,  that  the  breathing  is  the  most  important  factor 
of  every  kind  of  physical  exercise  or  gymnastics,  and,  secondly,  that  deep 
exhalation  is  of  still  more  importance  than  deep  inhalation,  the  above- 
stated  fact  is  very  curious. 

I  think  I  was  the  first  author  who  prescribed  exactly,  in  each  single 
exercise,  how  and  in  what  part  of  the  movement  the  pupil  should  inhale, 
and  how  and  where  to  exhale.  And  I  was  also  the  first  to  introduce  the 
obHgatory  deep-breathing  pause  immediately  after  each  single  gymnastic 
exercise.     There  are  sixteen  such  pauses  in  my  15  minutes'  system,  while 


51 

in  the  programme  of  the  Swedish  gymnastic  "daily  lessons,"  lasting  each 
about  forty-five  minutes,  there  is  never  to  be  found  more  than  one  obligatory 
breathing  exercise,  and  this  is  generally  placed  at  the  end  of  the  lesson. 
When  I  myself,  several  years  ago,  was  a  member  of  a  class  being  trained  by 
a  gymnastic  director  (diplomaed  in  Stockholm),  this  special  deep-breathing 
pause  used  to  occur  at  the  end,  when  we  had  finished  the  lesson  by  a  quick 
sprint  or  "running  round"  in  the  haU,  causing  myriads  of  atoms  from  the 
layer  of  dust  on  the  floor  to  whirl  up  and  be  inhaled  in  abundance!  To- 
day the  state  of  things  is  better,  of  course!  Even  the  Swedish  professors 
have  learned  a  good  deal  by  studying  my  books,  and  you  may  now  some- 
times meet  gymnastic  teachers  who  carefully  watch  the  breathing  of  their 
pupils  during  the  various  phases  of  all  the  exercises  performed. 

AU  the  illustrations  in  the  above-mentioned  manual  of  improved  Swed- 
ish gymnastics  show  the  upper  chest  highly  arched,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
the  abdomen  drawn  inwards.  If  this  is  intended  to  show  that  inhalation 
is  going  on,  then  it  utterly  fails  in  its  object,  because  the  indrawn  "  stomach' ' 
will  prevent  the  diaphragm  from  sinking,  and  thus  the  lower  lobes  of  the 
lungs  from  being  inflated.  And  if  it  illustrates  exhalation,  it  is  equally 
wrong,  because  the  ribs  should  be  contracted  during  this  phase  of  respira- 
tion. The  third  alternative  is  to  suppose  that  the  illustrations  all  show  the 
breath  being  held.  But  to  do  this  during  gymnastics  is  a  serious  error, 
which  tends  to  injure  the  heart. 

Proper  respiration  being  the  most  essential  factor  in  physical  culture, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the  death-rate  from  consumption  is  so  high  in  Sweden. 
We  must  regard  the  neglect  of  the  organs  of  the  thoracic  cavity  as  the  great- 
est mistake  of  the  Swedish,  or  Ling's,  system,  without,  at  the  same  time, 
underrating  the  other  mistakes,  viz.,  the  inadequate  care  of  the  skin  and 
the  neglect  of  the  vital  organs  of  the  abdominal  cavity.  The  Swedish  sys- 
tem contains  no  rubbing  exercises,  no  self-massage,  no  air-bath.  It  is  al- 
ways performed  in  long  trousers,  jersey,  socks  and  shoes,  and,  therefore,  it 
is  incorrectly  called  "gymnastics,"  the  meaning  of  this  word  being  "the 
art  of  exercising  the  naked  body."  The  exercises  which  are  performed 
nude  in  Danish  "open  air  gymnasia"  and  in  German  "air-and-sun  bathing 
places"  are  really  far  more  entitled  to  the  name  of  "gymnastics. "  The  same 
is  the  case  with  the  performances  in  the  new  French  coUege  of  Rheims, 
founded  by  the  naval  officer  Hebert  who,  apparently  with  good  results,  has 
studied  the  French  edition  of  my  "Fresh  Air  Book." 

The  internal  organs  of  the  abdominal  cavity  are  neglected  in  the  Swed- 
ish system  in  that  there  are  too  few  effective  exercises  acting  upon  these 
vital  parts  of  the  body.  There  are  some  simple  and  slow  bendings  and 
twis tings  of  the  waist-Une,  but  they  are  only  carried  out  a  few  times,  which 
is  far  too  little  for  keeping  these  organs  in  regular  working  order.  The  suc- 
cess of  "My  System"  in  this  respect  is,  in  the  first  place,  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  bendings  and  twistings  are  performed  very  strongly  and  quickly, 
and  without  pauses  (as  soon  as  the  learner's  stage  is  passed) ;  further,  that 
each  of  these  bending  and  twisting  movements  is  repeated  from  ten  to 


twenty  times;  and,  finally,  that  "j\Iy  System"  contains  some  very  effective 
combinations  of  bending  and  twisting,  quite  unknown  in  the  Swedish  sys- 
tem. I  have  met  several  persons,  even  teachers  of  Swedish  exercises,  who 
suft'ered  from  digestive  troubles,  notwithstanding  that  they  exercised  for  a 
whole  hour  almost  ever}^  day.  They  were  not  healthy  until  they  went  in 
for  mv  exercises.  And  I  have  scores  of  letters  from  Swedish  officers  and 
prominent  private  people,  who  state  that  they  gave  up  their  national  sys- 
tem because  it  was  dull  and  tedious  and  not  capable  of  curing  their  various 
troubles,  but  now,  after  doing  "My  System,"  they  are  fit  and  well. 

Of  course,  ten  or  twenty  years  ago  the  Swedish  system  was  the  very 
best.  But,  unfortunately,  it  was  always  considered  by  its  patrons  and 
followers  as  a  rehgious  institution,  any  alteration  of  which  would  be  blas- 
phemous. Consequently,  for  loo  years  (the  Central-Institute  in  Stock- 
holm was  founded  in  1813  by  Per  Henrik  Ling)  it  has  never  been  improved, 
and  now  it  has  naturally  become  antiquated.  The  means  by  which  the 
patrons  and  professors  of  this  system  try  to  preserve  its  former  renown,  and 
thereby  to  preserve  for  their  country  the  lucrative  industry  of  producing 
and  exporting  gjonnastic  teachers  for  the  whole  world,  are  not  always  quite 
fair. 

During  the  last  nine  years  the  professors  of  Sweden  have  abused  me 
personally  Uke  a  pickpocket,  because  they  realised  that  my  system  contained 
great  dangers  to  their  own.  It  is  only  in  self-defence  that,  in  this  chapter, 
I  have  taken  the  opportunity  of  showing  by  scientific  argument  that  it  is 
only  an  old  superstition  to  suppose  that  the  Swedish  system  is  the  best  of 
all.  The  Swedish  experts  themselves  like  to  call  their  system  the  only 
"rational,  scientific  gymnastics." 

I  think  I  have  proved  that  we  have  here  three  lies  in  three  words, 
just  as  in  the  old  days  one  spoke  of  the  "Holy  Roman  Empire,"  which 
was  neither  holy,  Roman,  nor  Empire. 

But  outside  Sweden  itself,  during  recent  years,  gymnastics  after  Swed- 
ish ground-principles  have  been  improved  very  much  in  other  countries, 
especially  in  Finland,  Norway  and  Denmark.  During  a  \'isit  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  Helsingfors  I  saw  a  large  body  of  students  performing  free  ex- 
ercises with  naked  bodies  (only  wearing  swimming  drawers)  and  bare  feet, 
although  it  was  midwinter,  and  the  windows  of  the  hall  were  wide  open. 
Also  the  "Swedish"  drill, taught  by  the  Danish  Lieutenant  Langkilde  and 
Mr.  Junker  (Principal  of  the  institute  in  Silkeborg,  Denmark),  both  of 
whom  are  well  known  in  England,  is  so  improved  that  it  would  not  be  very 
wrong  to  call  it  "Danish  drill"  instead  of  "Swedish." 


How  the  Heart  is  often  Injured. 

It  may  be  useful  to  discuss  this  matter  a  little  further.  The  eft'ects 
upon  the  lungs  and  heart  of  the  various  forms  of  bodily  exercise,  gymnastics, 
games  and  sports  are  very  different.  We  can,  in  respect  to  these  effects, 
distinguish  between  two  large  groups,  viz.,  momentary,  concentrated  feats 


53 

of  strength  (or  of  quickness),  and,  on  the  other  hand,  prolonged  feats  of 
strength  performed  in  a  regular  measure  (endurance).  The  first  group  will 
never  be  able  to  strengthen  or  develop  the  heart  and  lungs,  and  only  by  care- 
ful training  wiU  it  be  possible  to  avoid  positive  harm  being  done  to  these 
organs.  But  the  second  group  may  easUy  serve  to  develop  and  strengthen 
both  heart  and  lungs,  and  only  by  very  irrational  proceeding  will  it  be 
possible  to  do  harm  to  the  organs.  This  is  the  great  difference  between  these 
two  groups.  Some  of  the  worst  examples  of  the  first  group  are:  lifting  of 
heavy  weights,  difiicult  exercises  on  the  Roman  rings,  trapeze,  parallel 
bar,  etc.,  short  and  strenuous  wrestUng  bouts;  but  loo  yard  sprints,  several 
passages  in  football,  hockey,  and  lawn-tennis,  and  the  "crawl"  method  of 
short  distance  swimming,  also  belong  more  or  less  to  this  group.  ■  Good 
examples  of  the  other  are:  rowing  and  sculling,  long  distance  running  and 
walking,  skating  and  ski-ing,  the  older  methods  of  swimming  and  aU  well- 
measured  gymnastic  exercises  with  regular  breathing.  Some  sports,  e.  g., 
boxing  and  cycling,  it  is  difficult  to  classify  positively  in  the  one  or  the  other 
group.  It  depends  upon  the  individual  manner  of  working.  And  several 
other  sports  are  doubtful — that  is,  they  are  scarcely  calculated  either  to  de- 
velop or  hurt  the  internal  organs  to  a  degree  worth  mentioning.  Throwing 
and  putting  weights,  jumping,  golf,  and  cricket  belong,  I  think,  to  this  cate- 
gory. 

The  reason  why  the  first-mentioned  group  is  so  calculated  to  injure 
the  organs  is  as  follows:  When  the  Ufting  of  a  very  heavy  weight — or 
other  feat  approaching  the  Hmit  of  the  individual's  power — is  to  be  per- 
formed, it  is  necessary  to  brace  most  of  the  muscles  of  the  trunk,  in  order 
that  the  limbs  (for  instance,  the  arms  which  lift  the  heavy  weight)  may  have 
a  solid  support.  But  during  this  stiffening  of  the  trunk  almost  everybody 
will  hold  the  breath  after  having  taken  a  full  inhalation.  The  heart  will 
beat  very  quickly,  because  the  effort  of  lifting  will  be  so  great.  But  it  wiU 
receive  less  and  less  oxidised  blood,  because  the  lungs  will  have  stopped 
their  work  when  the  breath  is  retained.  The  congested  red  face  and  the 
swelling  of  the  neck  show  how  the  venous  system  has  been  overfilled. 

When  at  last  the  effort  is  over,  and  the  air  is  expelled  from  the  lungs, 
the  blood  will  rush  suddenly  into  the  right  ventricles  and  over-dilate  the 
weak  walls.  And,  if  often  repeated,  this  acute  dilatation  of  the  heart  may 
become  chronic. 

This  bad  form  of  enlargement  of  the  heart  should  not  be  confounded 
with  that  sort  of  enlargement  which  arises  when  the  muscles  of  the  heart, 
or  the  walls  themselves,  are  made  thicker,  stronger,  and  more  elastic,  as  is 
the  case  when  proper  feats  of  endurance  and  other  good  games  are  per- 
formed in  a  sensible  manner. 

Some  doctors,  especially  on  the  Continent,  where  the  opportunity 
of  examining  healthy  athletes  was  formerly  only  very  limited,  would  call 
such  a  strong  and  big  heart  "hypertrophied."  But  this  name  ought  not 
to  be  used  to  signify  that  the  heart  in  question  is  diseased.  It  is,  on  the 
contrary,  the  strong  and  big  heart  of  the  athlete,  which  is  of  the  right  sort, 


54 

even  if  it  is  more  seldom  seen  by  doctors  than  the  so-called  "normal"  heart 
of  ordinary  weak  people. 

Well,  I  must  admit  that  there  have  also  been  cases  where  bad  dilata- 
tion of  the  heart  has  arisen  as  a  result  of  feats  of  endurance.  But  it  will 
then  always  be  found  that  the  individual  in  question  has  been  wrongly 
trained,  even  quite  out  of  condition,  or  the  performance  of  the  feat  has  been 
protracted  far  past  the  Umit  of  common  sense,  or  possibly  both  these  reasons 
may  apply.  How  the  lungs  are  injured,  and  emphysema  developed  by  ex- 
cessive holding  of  the  breath,  I  have  already  explained  on  pp.  15  and  16. 

I  may  perhaps  now  be  asked  if  it  is,  then,  my  opinion  that  these  "dan- 
gerous" concentrated  feats  of  strength  should  be  abohshed,  since  so  many 
people  have  injured  their  vital  organs  thereby.  No,  not  at  all.  But  I 
would  lay  down  the  following  conditions:  The  performer  must  have 
thoroughly  sound  and  well-exercised  heart  and  lungs  to  start  with.  He  must 
be  trained  upon  a  good  plan,  so  that  he  may  become  gradually  able  to  per- 
form a  greater  feat  without  augmenting  the  necessary  effort.  And,  finally, 
he  should,  if  possible,  never  hold  his  breath,  but  by  practice  acquire  the 
ability  to  breathe  deeply,  even  when  the  ribs  are  fixed  and  most  of  the 
muscles  of  the  body  and  hmbs  are  braced  or  working  strenuously  (see  my 
hints  to  boxers  on  p.  82).  Then  weight-lifting,  or  other  "feats  of  strength, " 
will  no  longer  be  dangerous  to  him. 

I  hope  my  readers  wiU  now  understand  that  it  is  quite  wrong  to  call  a 
weak  or  diseased  heart  an  "athlete's  heart."  Even  if  the  heart  has  been 
weakened  by  athletics  badly  performed,  it  is  wrong  to  call  it  an  "athlete's 
heart,"  because  a  man  ceases  to  be  an  athlete  the  moment  his  organs  are 
weak.  Nevertheless,  we  often  see  this  error  in  the  daily  papers.  A  para- 
graph such  as  the  following  is  typical: — 

"A  doctor  stated  at  the  inquest  to-day  concerning  the  sudden  death 
of  a  naval  cadet,  N.  N.,  that  he  had  an  athlete's  heart.  After  taking  part 
in  Swedish  drill  on  H.M.S.  X  he  collapsed.  The  parents  of  N.  N.  Uve  at 
Y,  and  he  has  rowed  in  races  for  St.  Z's  School,  where  he  had  good  health." 

This  example  also  proves  that  Swedish  drill  is  not  capable  of  curing 
or  strengthening  a  weak  heart,  such  as  often  has  been  the  case  with  "My 
System."  Even  if  this  young  naval  cadet  had  formerly  weakened  his 
heart  by  rowing  without  paying  attention  to  his  breathing,  it  could  have 
been  strengthened  by  sensible  free  exercises,  combined  with  correct  deep- 
breathing — and  his  life  would  then  have  been  spared. 

It  is  a  pity  that  more  of  our  schoolmasters  do  not  take  a  few  lessons  in 
the  subject  of  Respiration,  so  that  they  may  impart  the  same  to  their 
charges.  In  England,  sensible  ventilation  of  schoolrooms  is  being  looked 
after  to  a  certain  degree,  but  in  some  of  our  old  public  schools,  many  of  the 
buildings  of  which  have  nothing  to  commend  them  but  age,  there  is  much 
room  for  improvement.  But,  while  the  schoolboy  in  these  venerable  insti- 
tutions may  be  compelled  to  breathe  vitiated  air  while  in  the  schoolroom, 
as  much  compensation  as  possible  should  be  afforded  him  by  teaching  him 
to  breathe  properly  when  in  the  open  air. 


55 

I  am  an  enthusiastic  supporter  of  all  sports,  particularly  those  con- 
nected with  running,  including  football  and  the  hke.  The  cross-country 
run  is  a  particular  favourite  of  mine,  and  especially  healthful,  but  only 
when  it  is  carried  out  under  proper  conditions.  I  know  many  Public  School 
men  who  date  heart  troubles  which  afflict  them  from  the  days  when  they 
strove  and  did  not  spare  themselves  for  the  honour  of  their  school  or  school- 
house,  in  cross-country  runs  or  football  matches.  With  only  the  "do  or 
die"  spirit  to  help  them,  they  have  gone  forth,  often  after  a  hearty  meal, 
and  with  not  the  slightest  notion  of  how  to  breathe. 

In  all  my  experience  I  have  rarely  heard  or  seen  any  mention  of  a  school- 
master preparing  his  boys  for  a  long  country  run.  Luckily  for  the  nation, 
the  average  Enghsh  schoolboy,  with  his  inherent  love  of  sport,  is  a  tough 
and  healthy  youngster.  But  the  most  robust  heart  cannot  withstand  the 
strain  of  a  long  run  over  rough  country  if  it  has  to  struggle  all  the  while  to 
keep  pace  with  over-rapid  pulsations  of  the  lungs. 

As  I  cannot  write  more  here  on  the  subject  of  running,  I  must  refer 
my  readers  to  what  I  have  said  in  the  Chapter  "Hints  for  Athletes,"  page 
8i. 


PART   II. 

CHAPTER  I. 
MY  FIVE  MINUTES^  BREATHING  SYSTEM, 

Specially  formwlated  for  Very,  Very  Busy  Men,  Overtrained 
Athletes,  Moscle -bound  Weight  Lifters,  Very  Delicate 
People,  Consumptives  in  the  First  Stage,  Singers,  Speakers, 
and  School  Children. 

There  are  people  who  are,  or  who  imagine  themselves  to  be,  so  busy 
that  they  cannot  spare  time  to  do  my  15  Minutes'  System  of  Exercises. 
When  people  report  themselves  to  be  in  this  condition,  I  always  ask  them 
how  they  expect  to  be  able  later  on  to  get  time  to  lie  up  sick  and  ailing. 
But,  notwithstanding  my  protest,  the  fact  remains  that  there  are  such 
people.  And  I  will  not  presume  to  deny  a  fact,  as  a  country  member  of 
the  Danish  Parliament  once  said  he  would.  I  think  it  kinder  to  accom- 
modate the  needs  of  such  people  by  preparing  for  them  a  good  little  five 
minutes'  system. 

Then  there  are  other  people  who  have  strong  muscles,  enabling  them 
to  play  hard  games,  indulge  in  strenuous  sports  or  heavy  weight-lifting. 
But  they  have  never  learned  how  to  breathe  correctly,  and,  therefore,  they 
are  very  liable  to  injure  their  hearts  and  lungs  just  because  some  of  their 
muscles,  being  proportionately  over-developed,  tend  to  strain  the  vital  or- 
gans. On  the  other  hand,  if  only  they  would  learn  the  best  method  of 
breathing,  they  would  be  able  to  do  much  more  and  much  better  in  their 
special  game  or  sport. 

Further,  there  are  people  who  are  so  weak  that  the  exercises  of  "My 
System,"  even  in  their  easiest  degree,  would  be  rather  too  much  strain  if 
carried  out  at  once.  The  most  important  thing  for  such  people  is  certainly 
to  get  their  lungs  and  hearts  to  work  in  thfe  good  and  regular  way  which  it  is 
the  object  of  this  little  Five  Minutes'  System  to  secure.  They  would  then 
by  degrees  become  prepared  to  take  up  the  whole  of  "My  System,"  be- 
cause their  circulation  would  be  improved  and  their  vital  organs  strength- 
ened. And,  furthermore,  they  would  then  find  it  much  easier  to  perform 
"My  System"  than  would  pupils  taking  it  up  for  the  first  time,  because  the 
exercises  in  this  booklet  are  arranged  with  this  special  purpose  in  view. 

Consumptives  in  the  first  stage  especially  would  benefit  by  adopting 
this  little  system.  And,  what  is  still  more  important,  if  everyone,  from 
childhood,  were  to  perform  this  five  minutes'  work  daily,  consumption 


58 

would  be  entirely  prevented.  Statistics  tell  us  that  this  dreadful  disease 
is  still  responsible  for  more  deaths  than  any  other  malady. 

Nearly  one-half  of  all  deaths  in  the  United  Kingdom,  between  the 
ages  of  twenty-five  and  thirty-five,  are  due  to  consumption.  It  is,  first 
and  foremost,  complete  breathing,  with  special  attention  to  the  upper 
lobes  of  the  lungs,  which  forms  the  most  efficacious  preventive.  Such  an 
exercise  is  repeated  eighteen  times  in  the  course  of  the  five  minutes.  As 
every  doctor  can  tell  you,  it  is  in  these  upper  lobes  that  the  tuberculosis 
baciUi  first  settle  and  start  their  dangerous  work.  But  if  they  are  dis- 
turbed each  day  and  blown  away  by  a  stream  of  fresh  air,  they  can  never 
triumph.  And  by  degrees,  when  the  individual  has  grown  stronger,  his 
own  weU-trained  lexikocytes  will  become  able  to  dispose  of  every  hostile 
germ.  There  is,  here  in  England,  much  valuable  active  work  done  in  com- 
bating consumption.  But  the  most  important  means  has  not  yet  received 
due  attention,  namely,  the  teaching  of  the  younger  generations  how  to 
breathe  correctly.  This  breathing  system,  therefore,  is  eminently  suitable 
for  all  schools.  It  would  only  involve  the  spending  of  five  minutes  between 
two  lessons.  And  one  of  the  chief  effects  of  such  a  little  arrangement  would 
be  the  checking  of  the  "tuberculosis"  plague. 

And  last,  but  not  least,  there  are  aU  the  singers  and  the  speakers  for 
whom  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  develop  the  capacity  of  their  lungs 
and  the  strength  and  controlhng  powers  of  their  abdominal  muscles. 

Why  is  it  not  Good  always  to  Maintain  the  same  Position  during 
Deep-Breathing  ? 

Because  it  would  be  tiring  for  the  body  and  tedious  for  the  mind.  And, 
furthermore,  there  is  the  risk  that  not  every  part  of  the  lungs  will  be  called 
into  play  and  employed  to  its  own  benefit,  because  the  various  lobes  of  the 
lungs  act  differently  according  to  the  varied  positions  of  the  trunk.  Full 
respirations  ought,  therefore,  to  be  performed  with  the  body  in  different 
positions. 

At  what  Time  of  Day  shottid  we  Perform  this  Little   System? 

In  the  morning  before  breakfast,  immediately  before  the  daily  dip  or 
shower,  or  as  soon  as  one  is  partly  dressed  after  the  bath.  Or  in  the  even- 
ing just  before  going  to  bed.  Or  when  dressing  before  dinner.  Or  at  any 
other  convenient  time  of  the  day,  but  not  until  at  least  one  hour  has  elapsed 
since  the  finish  of  the  preceding  meal,  and  never  when  one  is  very  hungry. 

Hints   to   Beginners. 

The  unpractised  beginner  will  always,  during  the  first  few  days,  feel 
somewhat  sore  round  the  waist  and  between  the  ribs,  sometimes  also  in 
the  shoulders  and  between  them,  and  in  the  thighs  and  calves.  If  the  be- 
ginner does  not  feel  any  soreness  whatever,  it  is  only  a  proof  that  he  has 


59 

not  performed  the  exercises  correctly.  If  weak  people  experience  a  sensa- 
tion of  giddiness,  or  palpitation  of  the  heart,  during  the  first  performances, 
it  is  a  certain  proof  that  they  are  greatly  in  need  of  such  exercises.  If  the 
practice  be  continued  daily  these  symptoms  will  disappear  after  one  or  two 
weeks.  The  reason  of  the  giddiness,  accompanied  by  palpitation,  is  the 
following:  the  venous  blood  is  sucked  strongly  from  the  head  into  the  heart 
by  the  deep  inhalations,  and  the  heart  is  not  yet  sufiiciently  trained  in  the 
work  of  sunultaneously  supplying  enough  arterial  blood  in  return. 

The  following  nine  exercises  consist  of  full  respirations  performed  in 
various  positions  of  the  body,  and  combined  with  movements  of  the  trunk 
in  every  possible  direction,  and  with  several  movements  of  the  Kmbs  as 
well.  The  arrangement  of  the  exercises  is  easy  to  remember,  because  the 
first  eight  exercises  form  two  series,  each  of  which  consists  of  three  trunk 
movements  and  one  deep  knee-bending.  And  the  three  trimk  movements 
are,  in  each  series,  firstly,  a  backward  and  forward  movement,  then  a  side- 
ways movement,  and,  finally,  a  twisting.  In  the  second  series  the  tnmk 
movements,  and  the  knee-bending  as  well,  are  all  somewhat  more  difficult 
than  the  corresponding  movements  of  the  first  series. 

Each  of  the  exercises  should  be  commenced  by  a  full  exhalation,  and 
immediately  after  each  exercise  there  should  follow  a  short  pause  of  rest, 
during  which  two  easy  and  reheving  full  respirations,  i.  e.,  two  of  "my  com- 
plete breaths,"  are  performed. 


6o 


EXERCISE  No.  U 

Full  breathing  dtfring  backward  and  forward  bending  of  body 
combined  with  bending  and  straightening  of  both  arms  simtil- 

taneowsly. 

Plant  your  feet  firmly  about  i8  inches  apart,  with  the  toes  turned 
shghtly  out  in  a  natural  position.  Expel  by  a  deep  exhalation  as  much 
used-up  air  as  possible  from  the  lungs.  Then  immediately  start  slowly 
bending  the  upper  part  of  the  body  and  also  the  head,  well  over  backwards. 
WhUst  you  are  bending  backwards  in  this  manner,  you  should  at  the  same 
time  take  a  good,  steady  inhalation,  and  also  bend  the  arms  and  clench  the 
fists.  Then  you  will  finish  in  the  position  shown  in  Fig.  19.  The  shoulders, 
elbows  and  hands  should  be  forced  well  back,  the  wrists  being  bent.  Now, 
without  stopping  in  this  position,  you  should  start  a  deep  exhalation,  per- 
formed during  a  steady  forward  movement,  bending  the  body  as  low  down 
as  possible,  until  you  reach  the  position  in  Fig.  20.  The  arms  are,  during 
the  forward  bending  of  the  body,  gradually  straightened,  the  hands  opened 
and  the  fingers  stretched.  Then  raise  the  trunk  and  arms  again  during 
inhalation,  and  once  more  bring  them  back  into  the  position  shown  in  Fig. 
iQ.  Bend,  for  the  second  time,  forwards  during  exhalation,  and  so  on,  per- 
forming in  all  four  of  these  double  movements,  combined  with  four  respira- 
tions, which  should  be  as  slow  and  full  as  you  can  make  them.  Then,  of 
course,  the  movements  are  also  slow,  but  they  should  be  carried  as  far  as 
your  flexibility  admits.  You  should  curve  your  back  in  order  to  reach 
further  down,  but  you  should  keep  your  legs  as  straight  as  possible.  By 
degrees  you  wiU  become  so  pliable  that  you  will  be  able  to  touch  the  floor 
without  bending  the  knees. 

(This  exercise  forms  a  fair  preUminary  movement  to  the  Rubbing 
Exercise  No.  11  of  "My  System.") 


The  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise,  consisting  of  two 
full  respirations  without  accompanying  movements. 

Stand  with  heels  together,  hands  on  the  hips,  and  take  two  of  my 
ordinary  complete  breaths  through  the  nose,  as  long  and  as  steady  as  pos- 
sible. 

Rules  for  Inhalation,  Figs.  13  and  14  (pages  44  and  45): 

(i)  Open  the  nostrils. 

(2)  Raise  the  shoulders,  together  with  the  whole  upper  chest,  and  lean 
the  head  slightly  back. 

(3)  INIove  the  lower  ribs  as  far  as  possible  outwards. 

(4)  Do  not  arch  the  upper  chest  into  a  cramped  position. 

(5)  Do  not  draw  in  the  abdomen,  nor  brace  its  muscles. 


EXERCISE  No.  I, 


62 

Rules  for  Exhalation,  Figs.  i6  and  17  (pages  44  and  45): 
(i)  Let  the  whole  upper  chest  and  the  shoulders  sink,  and  lower  the 
chin  again. 

(2)  Let  the  ribs  sink,  and  draw  them  inwards  and  together  as  much 
as  possible. 

(3)  Do  not  draw  in  the  abdomen,  but  keep  it  naturally  relaxed. 

Lady  beginners  and  very  weak  male  pupils  are  recommended  to  he 
down  flat  during  this  deep-breathing  pause,  and  to  perform  as  many  of  these 
respirations  as  they  find  comfortable.  It  is  better  to  he  on  a  sofa,  a  bed, 
or  in  a  long  easy  chair,  than  upon  the  floor,  because  the  repeated  rising 
from  this  would  be  tiring.  The  hands  should  now  not  be  kept  on  the  hips, 
but  the  arms  should  rest  on  the  sides  of  the  body.  When  the  complete 
breaths  are  taken  in  this  position,  the  greatest  attention  should  be  paid  to 
the  expanding  and  contracting  of  the  lower  ribs. 

Ladies  should  be  careful  to  remove  all  tight  clothes  and  bands  (corset, 
necklace,  etc.). 


EXERCISE  No.  2. 

One-sided  ftiU  breathing  during  side-bending  of  trtjnfc,  combined 
with  alternative  lifting  over  head  and  stretching  downwards  of 

arms. 

Stand  with  heels  together.  Perform  the  same  preHminary  exhalation 
as  in  Exercise  No.  i.  Then,  whilst  inhahng,  steadily  bend  the  trunk  slowly 
sideways  to  the  right  as  much  as  possible.  The  right  arm  to  point  down- 
wards, but  the  left  should  be  raised  to  a  half-bent  position,  the  palm  being 
kept  as  far  as  possible  over  the  right  side  of  the  head  (see  Fig.  21).  This 
manner  of  inhalation  will  provide  an  extra  expansion  of  the  left  lung.  Then 
swing  the  trunk  slowly  as  far  as  possible  over  to  the  left  side,  at  the  same 
time  exhaUng  steadily  and  deeply.  Now  the  left  arm  should  be  stretched 
downwards  and  the  right  curved  over  the  head  (see  Fig.  2  2) .  This  manner 
of  exhalation  provides  an  extra  contraction  of  the  left  lung.  Then  back 
again  to  the  position  in  Fig.  21,  inhaling  meanwhile,  and,  for  the  second 
time,  bend  over  the  left  side  while  exhaUng  (see  Fig.  22).  But  here  you 
must  remember  to  keep  up  the  position  of  Fig.  22  whilst  you  are  again  in- 
hahng, and  do  not  start  the  swinging  back  to  the  right  side  until  you  again 
start  exhaling,  after  which  you  should  twice  repeat  this  pumping  move- 
ment in  a  corresponding  manner  to  the  first  two  double  movements,  whereby 
you  will  be  able  to  provide  two  extra  expansions  and  contractions  of  the 
right  lung  also. 

(This  exercise  forms  a  fair  preliminary  movem.ent  to  the  Rubbing 
Exercise  No.  16  of  "My  System.") 

Repeat  here  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise  (two  com- 
plete breaths). 


EXERCISE  No.  2, 


64 


EXERCISE  No.  3. 

F«n  breathing  during  twisting  of  trunk  to  alternate  sides,  com- 
bined with  arm -raising  and  lowering  to  the  sides. 

Place  yourself  with  the  hands  clenched  and  the  feet  20  to  25  (accord- 
ing to  your  height)  inches  apart.  The  toes  should  point  straight  to  the 
front,  as  shown  in  Fig.  23.  Perform  the  prehminary  exhalation,  then 
twist  the  upper  part  of  the  body  slowly  a  quarter  round  to  the  left,  at  the 
same  time  raising  the  arms  to  a  horizontal  position,  and  taking  a  full  inha- 
lation (see  Fig.  24).  Immediately  afterwards  turn  slowly  back  again  to 
the  position  shown  in  Fig.  23,  at  the  same  time  lowering  the  arms  and  per- 
forming a  deep  exhalation. 

Then  make  a  corresponding  twisting  to  the  right,  once  more  raising 
the  arms  and  inhaling  deeply  (see  Fig.  25) ;  then  back  again  to  the  position 
of  Fig.  23,  while  exhaling  steadily  and  lowering  the  arms. 

Repeat  the  movement  four  times  to  alternate  sides,  thereby  perform- 
ing four  full  respirations.  It  is  wrong  to  twist  the  legs  or  move  the  feet. 
These  should  remain  firmly  planted  on  the  floor  during  this  and  the  other 
twisting  exercise  (No.  7) — the  turns  or  twistings  being  done  only  from  the 
waist,  the  hips  being  fixed,  and  keeping  so  far  as  possible  their  position  to 
the  front. 

(This  exercise  is  the  same  as  the  first  degree  of  Exercise  No.  4  of  "My 
System.") 

Repeat  here  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise. 


EXERCISE  No.  3. 


Fig.  23. 


Fig.  24. 


Fig.  25. 


66 


EXERCISE  No.  4. 

Fttll   breathing   during   arm-raising   to   the   front   and   lowering, 
combined  with  quick  deep  knee-bendings,  feet  apart  and  without 

heel-raising. 

Stand  as  shown  in  Fig.  26,  with  arms  stretched  downwards,  palms  to 
the  rear,  and  feet  as  much  apart  as  in  Exercise  No.  i. 

Perform  the  preliminary  exhalation. 

Raise  the  outstretched  arms,  palms  downward,  slowly  to  a  horizontal 
position  in  front  of  you,  taking,  at  the  same  time,  a  full  inhalation  (see  Fig. 
27).  Then,  whilst  starting  a  deep  exhalation,  sink  quickly  to  a  squatting 
position  without  raising  the  heels  from  the  floor  (see  Fig.  28).  Without  any 
pause  while  in  this  position,  rise  again  quickly,  at  the  same  time  completing 
the  exhalation  and  lowering  the  arms.  (It  is  in  order  to  preserve  the  bal- 
ance that  the  arms  must  be  held  outstretched  to  the  front  during  the  squat- 
ting, and  they  should  only  be  lowered  again  during  the  raising  of  the  body. 
If  you  drop  them  too  early,  you  will  be  liable  to  fall  backwards,  at  aU 
events  if  your  feet  are  in  the  right  position,  i.  e.,  with  the  whole  sole  planted 
on  the  floor.)  As  the  breath  is  exhaled  during  the  whole  downward  and 
upward  movement,  with  bending  and  subsequent  straightening  of  the 
knees,  this  must  be  carried  out  in  a  comparatively  short  space  of  time,  while 
the  raising  of  the  arms  during  the  full  inhalation  alone  must  be  performed 
very  slowly  each  time.     Repeat  the  whole  movement  four  times. 

(This  exercise  is  the  same  as  the  preUminary  movement  of  the  Rubbing 
Exercise  No.  10  of  "My  System.") 

Repeat  here  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise. 


EXERCISE  No.  4. 


Fig.  26. 


Fig.  27. 


Fig.  28. 


68 


EXERCISE  No,  5. 

Ftjfl  breathing  during  backward  and  forward  leaning  of  the  trttnk 
combined  with  tapping  successively  on  tipper  chest  and  loins. 

Whilst  Exercise  No.  i  was  a  backward  and  forward  bending  of  the 
body  to  the  Kmits  of  its  flexibility,  this  leaning  backwards  and  forwards  of 
the  trunk  is  a  shorter  movement,  performed  with  a  straight  or  hollowed 
back,  and  without  moving  the  head  independently  of  the  body.  Position 
of  the  feet  as  in  Exercises  Nos.  i  and  4. 

Perform  the  prehminary  exhalation.  Lean  slowly  backwards,  at 
the  same  time  inhaling  fully  and  tapping  quickly  the  whole  upper  part  of 
the  chest  with  the  clenched  fists  (see  Fig.  29). 

This  tapping  will  cause  the  inhaled  air  to  penetrate  into  certain  vesi- 
cles of  the  lungs  where  perhaps  it  would  not  otherwise  reach.  Now  lean 
slowly  forwards  without  bending  or  curving  the  back,  at  the  same  time  ex- 
haling deeply  and  tapping  strongly  the  whole  lower  part  of  the  back  and 
loins  (see  Fig.  30).  This  tapping  will  tone  up  the  kidneys  and  prevent 
lumbago.  Then  once  more  lean  backwards  and  forwards,  tapping  the 
chest  whilst  inhaling  and  the  back  whilst  exhaling,  and  so  on,  performing 
in  all  four  double  movements  and  four  complete  respirations. 

(This  exercise  forms  a  fair  preliminary  movement  to  the  Rubbing  Ex- 
ercise No.  18  of  "My  System.") 

Repeat  here  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise. 


EXERCISE  No.  5. 


70 


EXERCISE  No.  6. 

Alternate  one-sided  deep  exhalation  daring  side-bending  of  trtink, 
combined  with  half  knee -b endings. 

Stand  with  hands  on  hips  and  the  feet  somewhat  more  apart  than  in 
Exercises  Nos.  i,  4  and  5,  the  toes  turned  sHghtly  out  in  a  natural  manner 
(see  Fig.  31).  Now,  whilst  performing  a  deep  exhalation,  lean  the  trunk 
slowly,  always  facing  the  front,  sideways  over,  the  right  leg,  Avhich  must  be 
kept  qmte  rigid,  whereas  the  left  knee  should  be  bent  as  shown  in  Fig.  32. 

Then  raise  the  body  and  resume  the  vertical  position,  shown  in  Fig.  31, 
with  both  legs  straightened,  at  the  same  time  taking  a  full  and  strong,  but 
proportionately  brisk,  inhalation.  Stay  in  the  upright  posture  for  a  moment, 
commencing  exhalation.  Then  lean  the  trunk  slowly  sideways  over  the 
left  and  straightened  leg,  bending  the  right  knee,  while  finishing  the  long 
and  deep  exhalation  (see  Fig.  t,^).  Then  raise  the  body  while  once  more 
inhahng,  the  right  leg,  at  the  same  time,  having  been  straightened.  Pause 
in  the  upright  posture  while  commencing  exhalation,  and,  for  the  second 
time,  lean  over  the  right  leg  while  completing  exhalation,  and  continue  in 
this  way  these  swaying  movements  four  times  in  all.  The  exhalations 
during  the  alternate  squeezing  of  the  lungs  by  means  of  the  sharp  side- 
bendings  will  provide  an  extra  means  of  expeUing  the  foul  air  from  the  lungs. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  bend  the  trunk  obhquely  forward  instead  of  leaning 
sharply  over  to  the  sides.  Remember,  also,  to  lean  the  trunk  over  the 
stretched  leg,  never  over  the  bent  leg.  But  the  weight  of  the  body  should 
be  thrown  upon  the  bent  leg,  alternately  the  right  and  the  left. 

(This  exercise  is  the  same  as  the  preliminary  movement  of  the  Rubbing 
Exercise  No.  12  of  "My  System.") 

Repeat  here  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise. 


EXERCISE  No.  6. 


Fig.  31. 


i"iG.  32. 


■^ 


I 


# 


■"^- 


c 


Fig.  2>3- 


72 


EXERCISE  No.  7. 

Ftfll  breathing  dtiring  twisting  and  leaning  to  alternate  sides  and 

subsequent  raising  of  the  trwnkt  combined  with  arm-raising  and 

lowering  sideways. 

Position  as  in  Fig.  34,  which  is  just  the  same  as  Fig.  23  of  Exercise 
No.  3. 

This  exercise  itself  is  also  started  precisely  in  the  same  manner  as  No. 
3:  first  perform  the  preKminary  exhalation,  then,  while  inhaling  fully, 
assume  the  position  of  Fig.  35  (or  24).  But  now,  instead  of  turning  back 
again  to  the  front,  you  should  slowly  lean  the  trunk,  facing  to  the  left,  over 
the  left  leg,  at  the  same  time  lowering  the  arms  and  exhaUng  deeply  (see 
Fig.  36).  The  leaning  of  the  trunk  should  be  performed  with  a  straight  or 
hollowed  back.     It  is  a  mistake  to  curve  or  bend  the  back  far  downwards. 

Then  Hft  the  arms  again,  and  raise  the  trunk  to  the  position  shown  in 
Fig.  35,  and  twist  it,  without  any  pause,  the  whole  way  round  to  the  posi- 
tion shown  in  Fig.  37  (or  25),  meanwhile  taking  a  full  inhalation.  Now 
lean  the  trunk,  facing  to  the  right,  slowly  over  the  right  leg,  simultaneously 
lowering  the  arms  and  exhahng  deeply  (see  Fig.  38).  Then,  while  com- 
mencing inhalation,  again  raise  the  trunk,  simultaneously  lifting  the  arms 
(Fig.  37),  and,  without  any  pause,  twist  round  to  the  left  (Fig.  35)  while 
completing  inhalation.  Now,  for  the  second  time,  lean  the  body,  fronting 
to  the  left,  slowly  over  the  left  leg  while  exhahng  and  lowering  the  arms 
(Fig.  36).  And  so  on,  performing  in  all  four  double  movements  and  four 
full  respirations. 

(This  exercise  is  the  same  as  the  first  degree  of  Exercise  No.  7  of  "My 
System.") 

Repeat  here  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise. 


EXERCISE  No.  7. 


Fig.  34. 


Fig.  35. 


Fig.  36. 


Fig.  37. 


Fig.  38. 


74 


EXERCISE  No.  8. 

Fall    breathing    dtiring    arm-raising    sideways    and    subsequent 

lowering,  combined  with  slow  deep  knee-bendings,  feet  together, 

and  with  heel-raising. 

Stand  at  "attention,"  as  shown  in  Fig.  39. 

Perform  the  preliminary  exhalation. 

Rise  on  the  toes  and  raise  the  arms  sideways  to  a  horizontal  position, 
at  the  same  time  taking  a  full  inhalation.  The  head  should  be  leaned 
slightly  backwards,  the  fingers  well  stretched  out,  and  the  arms  and  shoulders 
forced  as  far  back  as  possible  (see  Fig.  40),  which  will  improve  the  carriage 
of  the  whole  body. 

Then  follows  a  deep  exhalation,  during  which  you  should  lower  youi 
body  to  a  squatting  position,  but  still  keep  the  heels  raised  from  the  floor. 
The  arms  and  the  chin  are,  at  the  same  time,  again  lowered,  and  the  hands 
should  now  be  strongly  clenched,  thus  figuratively  suggesting  that  now  all 
the  air  is  to  be  expelled  from  the  lungs  (see  Fig.  41).  This  forms,  at  the 
same  time,  a  good  exercise  for  strengthening  the  fingers. 

Now  comes  the  second  full  inhalation,  during  which  the  body  and 
arms  are  slowly  raised  until  the  position  of  Fig.  40  is  again  assumed.  And, 
finally,  during  another  deep  exhalation,  return  slowly  into  the  position  of 
Fig.  39,  the  chin,  arms  and  heels  being  lowered  simultaneously.  Then  re- 
peat, but,  of  course,  without  the  preKminary  exhalation,  the  whole  com- 
bined movement  described  above. 

You  will  thus  have  performed,  in  all,  two  deep  knee-bendings  and  four 
full  respirations. 

(This  exercise  is  the  same  as  the  third  degree  of  the  special  deep- 
breathing  exercise  of  "My  System "  with  arms  outstretched.) 

Repeat  here  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exercise. 


EXERCISE  No,  8, 


i% 


Fig.  39. 


Fig.  40. 


Fig.  41. 


76 


EXERCISE  No.  9. 

Special  abdominal  breathing,  combined  with  movement  of  the 

viscera. 

Stand  with  the  feet  as  much  apart  as  in  Exercises  Nos.  i,  4  and  5. 

Place  the  palms  upon  the  abdomen. 

Perform  the  preliminary  exhalation. 

Then  lean  slightly  backwards  and  draw  a  fuU  inhalation,  endeavour- 
ing to  distend  the  abdomen  as  much  as  possible  (see  Fig.  42). 

Then,  while  exhahng  deeply,  bend  slightly  forwards,  press  the  hands 
inwards,  and  move  them  upwards,  as  if  you  wished  to  push  aU  the  intestines 
up  under  the  ribs  (see  Fig.  43) .  Recommence  the  movement  by  raising  the 
body  and  inhaUng,  at  the  same  time  relaxing  the  hold  of  the  hands,  and 
dropping  them  a  httle  to  the  position  in  Fig.  42.  Now,  for  the  second  time, 
press  the  abdomen  and  bend  forward  as  before  while  exhaling,  and  then 
once  more  inhale,  raising  the  body  and  distending  the  abdomen,  and  so  on, 
performing  in  all  four  double  movements,  and  four  abdominal  respirations. 
When  the  abdominal  muscles,  after  frequent  practice,  have  grown  suffi- 
ciently strong,  these  movements  may  be  performed  without  assistance  of  , 
the  hands,  the  drawing  in  and  the  distending  of  the  abdomen  being  per- 
formed solely  by  the  force  of  the  abdominal  muscles,  as  shown  in  Figs.  44 
and  45. 

(This  exercise  is  almost  the  same  as  Exercise  No.  17  in  "My  System 
for  Ladies.") 

Finally,  repeat  once  more  the  Special  Relieving  Deep-Breathing  Exer- 


Prevention  is  Better  than  Care. 

In  reprinting  in  the  following  chapter  a  doctor's  record  of  aU  the  vari- 
ous diseases  which  may  be  cured  by  deep-breathing  exercises,  I  wish,  in 
advance,  expressly  to  emphasise  the  fact  that  it  is  much  better,  easier, 
safer,  more  pleasant,  and  far  less  expensive  to  prevent  all  these  diseases. 
This  apphes  especially  to  the  great  tuberculosis  plague,  the  ravages  of 
which  would  be  checked  if  mothers  or  nurses  wovdd  close  the  hps  of  sleeping 
babies,  and  if  children  were  taught  proper  breathing  by  competent  teachers 
who  know  how  to  breathe  themselves,  and  if  parents  and  guardians  would 
be  on  the  look  out  for  adenoids  (when  the  presence  of  these  is  suspected,  the 
children  should  be  sent  for  examination,  and,  if  necessary,  for  surgical  op- 
eration). The  consumption  germs  would  then  disappear,  not  having  a  suit- 
able soil  on  which  to  settle. 


EXERCISE  No.  9. 


CHAPTER    II. 

WHICH    AILMENTS    CAN    BE    CURED    BY 
DEEP-BREATHING  EXERCISES? 

One  of  the  first  doctors  who  took  up  "My  System"  (15  Minutes'  Ex- 
ercises) for  the  benefit  of  himself  and  his  patients  was  Dr.  Keller-Hoerschel- 
mann,  Chief  Physician  of  Erlenbach  Sanatorium,  near  Zurich.  He  pre- 
pared a  special  set  of  breathing  exercises,  which  he  apphed  in  hundreds  of 
cases  in  combination  with  my  rubbing  exercises.  In  his  book,  "Mein 
Atmungssystem, "  he  gives  a  record  of  various  diseases  which  were  cured 
by  these  means — a  Ust  of  which  I  herewith  append: — 

(i)  Diseases  of  the  Nose  and  Nasal  Cavity:  Chronic  catarrh  of  the  nose, 
nose  bleeding  and  small  polypi.  Long-established  and  large  adenoids 
must,  of  course,  be  removed  by  operation. 

(2)  Diseases  of  the  Gullet,  Throat,  Larynx  and  Bronchi:  Chronic  ca- 
tarrh of  the  throat,  the  Eustachian  tube  and  the  bronchi;  swelling  of  the 
tonsils;  inflammation  of  the  vocal  cords;  hoarseness;  stammering  and 
struma.  The  original  cause  of  stammering  is  not  so  much  nervousness  as 
simply  a  wrong  method  of  breathing  through  the  mouth.  Stammering 
may  be  defined  as  an  involimtary,  nervous  hesitation  and  vibration  of  the 
under  jaw  when  suddenly  called  up  from  its  habitual  hanging  position  to 
perform  its  part  in  articulation. — ^A  bronchocele  as  big  and  as  hard  as  a  fist 
was  removed  in  nine  months  by  correct  breathing. 

(3)  Diseases  of  the  Lungs:  Weak  lungs;  incipient  consumption,  nervous 
asthma,  malformation  or  adhesions  following  pleurisy;  emphysema,  and 
chronic  catarrh  of  the  lungs.  In  the  second  and  third  stages  of  consump- 
tion there  is  the  risk  that  the  tuberculosis  bacilli  may  spread  over  healthy 
parts  of  the  lungs,  or  that  haemorrhage  may  arise.  But  in  the  early  stage 
of  the  disease  the  beneficial  effects  of  breathing  exercises  upon  the  lungs  and 
the  whole  body  will  always  be  considerably  greater  than  the  risk.  Regular 
exercise  of  the  lungs  and  the  consequent  greater  interchange  of  air  will  pre- 
vent the  germs  from  thriving,  and  the  augmented  supply  of  leukocytes  will 
destroy  the  bacilli. — ^Dr.  K.-H.  cured  over  half  a  dozen  severe  cases  of 
asthma.  He  found  that,  in  such  cases  very  slow  exhalation  was  the  most 
important  point.  The  case  is  the  same  with  emphysema,  because  the  cure 
here  depends  on  the  possibility  of  restoring  the  elasticity  of  the  vesicles  of 
the  lungs  and  the  mobility  of  the  ribs.  He  also  recommends  pressure  with 
the  hands  during  exhalation  (see  Fig.  18,  p.  47). 


8o 

(4)  Deficient  Development  of  the  Thorax:  Hollow  chest,  pigeon-chest, 
rhachitic  thorax,  and  curvature  of  the  spine. 

(5)  Heart  Diseases:  Weakness  of  the  heart,  fatty  degeneration,  dila- 
tation, atrophy,  nervous  palpitation,  asthma,  arhythmia,  and  minor  or- 
ganic diseases  of  the  heart.  If  the  heart  be  too  small — anaemic — inhalation 
is  the  chief  curative  factor,  but  in  most  other  cases  exhalation  plays  the 
greatest  r6le.  In  cases  of  nervous  palpitation,  exacerbation  may  occur 
during  early  lessons,  but  improvement  will  be  noticed  after  the  third  or 
fourth  lesson. 

(6)  Diseases  of  the  Liver  and  Kidneys:  Blockage  of  the  Kver,  enlarge- 
ment of  the  hver,  deficient  production  of  gall,  gallstones,  bihous  complaints, 
renal  calculi,  and  blockage  of  the  portal  vein.  Abdominal  breathing  is  the 
most  important  factor  for  augmenting  the  secretion  of  gall,  and  for  the  re- 
moval of  various  obstructions  and  checking  the  formation  of  stones. 

(7)  Diseases  of  Metabolism:  Anaemia,  chlorosis,  obesity,  excessive 
thinness,  gout,  diabetes,  rheumatism,  nervous  disorders,  neuralgia  of  the 
head,  and  scrofula.  Milhons  are  paid  yearly  for  pills  and  tinctures  of  iron 
to  reheve  anaemia  and  chlorosis,  with  the  sole  result  that  the  stomach  and 
teeth  are  ruined.  By  deep-breathing  exercises  the  metaboHsm  is  stimu- 
lated and  the  production  of  good  blood  quickly  augmented. 

(8)  Deficient  Circulation  of  the  Blood:  Headaches,  dizziness,  faintness, 
lethargy,  cold  hands,  cold  feet,  swelling  of  the  veins,  varicose  veins,  and 
piles. 

(9)  Diseases  of  the  Stomach  and  Intestines:  Apathy  of  the  stomach, 
dilated  stomach,  protruding  abdomen,  chronic  stomachic  catarrh,  cardial- 
gia,  indigestion,  constipation,  chronic  catarrh  of  the  intestines,  and  ad- 
hesions after  peritonitis. 

(10)  Diseases  of  the  Nervous  System:  Neurasthenia,  hysteria,  with 
various  comphcations,  such  as  pains  in  the  limbs,  mental  exhaustion,  mel- 
ancholy, hypochondria,  irritabiUty  and  other  mental  disorders. 

(11)  Diseases  of  Women:  Abdominal  weakness,  chronic  complaints 
of  the  uterus  and  appendages,  sagging  of  the  broad  and  narrow  ligaments, 
and  menstrual  irregularities. 

(12)  Sea-sickness  and  Fainting  Attacks. 

I  would  warn  readers,  on  the  other  hand,  not  to  perform  any  Deep- 
Breathing  Exercises  when  suffering  from  any  of  the  subjoined  ailments: 
(i)  AH  acute  illnesses  with  fever. 

(2)  Acute  bronchitis;  pneumonia,  pleurisy,  and  peritonitis. 

(3)  Cerebral  bleedings,  atheroma,  thrombosis,  embolism,  phlebitis. 

(4)  Advanced  tuberculosis. 


PART    III. 
HINTS  FOR  ATHLETES. 

For  Sprinters. 

During  the  run  itself  there  should  be  a  minimum  of  respiration,  but 
before  and  immediately  after  a  maximima  should  be  indulged  in.  ]\Iany 
sprinters  hold  their  breath  whilst  they  are  down  on  aU  fours,  waiting  for 
the  shot  or  word  of  command  from  the  starter.  This  is  a  great  mistake. 
Breaths  as  complete  as  possible  should  be  taken.  "\Mien  "Are  you  ready?" 
has  sounded,  a  ven,'  full  inhalation  should  be  taken,  and  on  ''Go''  a  steady, 
slow  expiration  started,  which  should  last  for  as  much  of  the  loo  yards  as 
possible.  If  you  can  run  the  last  bit  without  breathing  at  all,  so  much  the 
better.  If  not,  you  should  take  only  short  gasps  through  the  mouth,  be- 
cause fuU  inhalations  will  check  the  pace  of  a  sprinter. 

Sprinting  is  a  great  strain  upon  the  heart  and  lungs.  Therefore,  as 
soon  as  the  winning  post  is  passed,  one  should  carefully  take  as  complete 
respirations  as  possible,  hands  on  hips  and  body  erect,  just  as  described  in 
the  chapter  on  "ISIy  Complete  Breath. "  During  the  first  few  seconds  you 
wUl  perhaps  be  obhged  to  keep  the  mouth  open,  but  as  soon  as  you  can  re- 
strict yourseK  to  nasal  breathing,  the  better.  Sprinting  is  not  a  good  ex- 
ercise for  the  respirator}'  organs  and  the  heart.  This  sport  ought,  there- 
fore, only  to  be  indulged  in  by  persons  with  thoroughly  sound  organs,  and 
every  sprinter  ought  to  strengthen  his  lungs  and  heart,  and  keep  them  fit, 
by  daily  nasal  deep-breathing  exercises,  combined  -n-ith  body  movements. 

For  Middle-Distance  Runners. 
Both  in  the  longer  sprinting  distances  (120 — 350  yards)  and  in  the 
middle  distances  there  is  so  great  a  need  for  air  that  most  athletes  are  here 
obhged  to  keep  the  mouth  wide  open.  But  it  should  be  regarded  as  a  make- 
shift, and  ought  never  to  become  a  habit  when  nmning  slowly,  or  on  ordi- 
nary occasions.  \^"hen  leaving  the  starting  mark  the  runner  should  im- 
mediately begin  to  pump  as  much  air  as  possible  mto  the  lungs,  even  more 
than  he  feels  he  immediately  needs.  If  he  omits  this  precaution,  there  will 
soon  come  an  instant  where  he  wiU  find  himself  very  short  of  air.  The 
middle  distances  are  a  stiU  greater  strain  on  the  heart  and  lungs  than  the 
100  yards.  My  remarks  above,  on  the  necessity  of  ha\dng  sound  organs, 
and  of  strengthening  these  by  other  effective  exercises,  are,  therefore,  stiU 
more  appropriate  here. 


82 


For  Long-Distance  Runners  and  Qtiick -Walkers. 

These  groups  of  athletes  ought  to  develop  a  regular,  deep  nasal  res- 
piration not  alone  in  daily  hfe,  but  also  when  they  are  indulging  their  par- 
ticular sport.  Their  running  or  walking  sport  itself  -s^iU  then  become  a 
splendid  exercise  for  the  lungs  and  the  heart,  as  distinguished  from  the 
short  and  middle  distances.  A  certain  number  of  strides  should  be  taken 
during  inspiration  (say  four)  and  the  same  number  during  expiration.  Here 
it  is  a  question  of  racing  or  of  keeping  almost  the  same  speed  as  in  racing, 
where  a  qiiick  change  of  air  in  the  lungs  is  needed,  and  must  not  be  con- 
fused with  the  special  exercise  of  deep-breathing  performed  during  ordinary 
walking,  which  is  explained  on  p.  17. 

An  athlete  who  trains  himself  to  be  capable  of  breathing  regularly  in 
long  distances  will  not  only  thereby  strengthen  his  respiratory  organs,  but 
he  ■R'ill  greatly  increase  his  stamina  and  staying  power.  There  is  still  an- 
other reason  why  long-distance  athletes  ought  to  use  nasal  breathing  ex- 
clusively. The  damage  which  may  ensue  from  inhaling  germs  through 
mouth-breathing  during  the  few  seconds  or  minutes  of  short  and  m^iddle  dis- 
tances may  never  be  considerable.  But  hours  spent  in  this  way,  especially 
in  the  dust  of  the  high  road,  is  certain  to  be  most  harmful.  Long-distance 
athletes  who  can  only  with  difficulty  get  enough  air  through  the  nose  wiU 
find  the  Albar  apparatus  (mentioned  on  p.  22)  very  useful. 

For  Speed-Skaters. 

There  are  two  things  which  tend  to  make  speed-skating  a  healthy  pas- 
time. Firstly,  it  is  as  a  rule  performed  on  the  ice,  in  nice,  fresh  air  free. from 
dust.  ■  Secondly,  the  rhythm  of  the  movements  simply  leads  to  the  per- 
formance of  a  regular  deep  respiration,  inhahng  when  resting  upon  the  one 
skate,  when  exhaling  upon  the  other.  And  I  have  foimd  it  most  convenient 
to  inhale  whilst  the  right  leg  slides,  and  exhale  upon  the  left.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  the  right  leg  will  always  be  the  outward  leg  in  the  curves; 
and,  if  these  are  made  in  correct  style,  the  upper  part  of  the  body  will  rise 
a  Httle  every  time  the  right  skate  is  trailed  upon  the  ice  into  its  position  in 
front  of  the  left  foot,  whereas  the  body  will  sink  further  downwards  when 
the  weight  in  turn  is  thrown  upon  the  left  leg. 

The  lower  the  temperature  is,  the  more  necessary  it  will  be  to  keep  ex- 
clusively to  nose  breathing.  The  Albar  apparatus  will  not  always  be  use- 
ful, because  it  is  often  necessary  to  warm  the  nose,  and  to  get  rid  of  the 
"water"  which  pours  out  more  freely  during  a  severe  frost. 

For  Boxers  and  Wrestlers. 
A  boxer  who  adopts  correct  breathing  methods  will  not  only  greatly 
improve  his  stamina,  but  wiU  also  by  this  means  strengthen  the  more  vul- 
nerable parts  of  the  body,  which  will  make  him  less  liable  to  be  knocked  out. 


83 

A  boxer  should  respire  regularly  and  deeply  through  the  nose  during 
the  whole  round.  If  he  holds  his  breath  when  making  specially  severe 
efforts,  he  will  soon  get  out  of  breath.  And  if  he  respires  through  the  open 
mouth,  he  runs  the  risk  of  biting  his  tongue,  and,  what  is  much  worse,  the 
blows  he  gets  on  the  jaw  will  hurt  him  severely.  But  when  the  teeth  are 
clenched  and  the  muscles  of  the  jaw  contracted,  he  can  withstand  much 
more  punishment.  Of  course,  it  is  not  necessary  to  keep  these  muscles 
braced  the  whole  time.  But  when  the  mouth  is  shut,  the  jaw  can  be  set 
as  quick  as  Hghtning,  and  quite  instinctively,  whenever  a  blow  threatens. 

It  is  important  that  the  boxer  keep  breathing  regularly  and  deeply 
while  ducking,  bending,  crouching,  side-stepping,  and  during  all  other  quick 
movements  of  the  body.  The  slow  rhythm  of  the  breath  must  be  quite  in- 
dependent of  whatever  else  he  is  doing.  The  severest  degrees  of  Exercises 
Nos.  2,  5,  i6,  17,  and  18  of  "My  System"  form  splendid  training  for  this 
purpose,  especially  the  three  last,  the  quick  trunk  movements,  when  per- 
formed at  a  rate  of  at  least  three  or  four  double  movements  during  one  com- 
plete respiration. 

As  long  as  the  body  is  out  of  reach,  the  boxer  should  respire  as  nearly  as 
possible  according  to  the  scheme  of  my  complete  breath,  taking  iu\l  ad- 
vantage of  the  costal  breathing.  But  as  soon  as  it  comes  to  close  quarters, 
the  boxer  must  brace  the  whole  abdominal  wall  in  order  to  protect  his  stom- 
ach, and,  above  all,  the  solar  plexus.  If  the  upper  part  of  the  straight  ab- 
dominal muscles  are  in  a  state  of  softness  and  the  ribs  relaxed,  a  blow  in  this 
region  will  go  through  and  do  damage.  But  if  these  muscles  are  thick, 
strong  and  hardened,  and  the  ribs  fixed,  a  severe  blow  can  be  taken  here 
without  much  harm.  Almost  every  athlete  understands  how  to  brace  these 
muscles  and  fix  the  lower  ribs.  But  nine  out  of  ten  will,  at  the  same  time, 
hold  the  breath.  Now,  it  is  obvious  that,  if  a  boxer  holds  his  breath  for 
several  seconds  and  repeats  this  performance  frequently  during  a  round,  he 
will  very  soon  be  out  of  breath.  And  if  he,  gasping  for  air,  relaxes  the  ab- 
dominal wall,  then  he  will  easily  be  knocked  out,  or,  at  all  events,  be  hurt 
severely  if  he  is  hit  on  the  mark.  He  must,  therefore,  learn  how  to  keep  a 
regular  breath  going,  even  when  the  abdominal  muscles  are  braced  and  the 
lower  ribs  thereby  completely  fixed.  It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  breathe 
under  these  conditions,  because  it  is  qmte  impracticable  to  move  the  lower 
ribs.  The  only  possible  form  of  respiration  in  this  case  is,  then,  a  combina- 
tion of  clavicular  and  diaphragmatic  breathing,  which  must  be  practised 
until  it  can  be  performed  unconsciously.  I  have  never  seen  this  fact 
mentioned  or  explained  anywhere,  but  I  suppose  there  are,  or  have  been, 
champions  who  quite  instinctively  did  this.  I  do  not  think  I  can  better 
illustrate  the  importance  of  this  method  than  by  giving  an  account  of  my 
first  meeting  with  Bombardier  Wells.  It  was  a  short  time  after  his  defeat 
by  Carpentier  that  the  English  champion  called  upon  me,  accompanied  by 
a  mutual  friend.  They  were  somewhat  depressed,  and  they  wanted  me  to 
try  to  find  out  what  really  was  amiss  with  the  Bombardier.  They  told  me 
that  one  expert  had  said  that  he  suffered  from  a  sort  of  nervous  indigestion, 


that  somebody  else  had  told  them  about  a  mysterious  disease  in  the  region 
of  the  solar  plexus,  with  more  of  that  sort  of  thing. 

I  asked  him  to  strip.  I  have  seen  and  studied  thousands  of  men  naked 
— for  thirty  years  it  has  been  one  of  my  hobbies.  The  numerous  sea-bath- 
ing places  of  Scandinavia  and  the  crowded  air-baths  of  the  Continent,  where 
people  do  not  wear  any  clothing,  have  given  me  rich  opportunities.  At  the 
first  glance  I  saw  what  nonsense  had  been  written  about  the  Bombardier's 
famous  waist-Une.  How  often  have  I  not  read  that  this  part  of  his  body 
was  too  long,  or  that  it  was  too  weak  for  a  boxer.  But  now  I  was  able  to 
ascertain  for  myself  that  his  waist  and  trunk  are  unusually  short.  It  is 
his  very  long  thighs  which  make  him  so  tall.  As  to  the  imaginary  weakness 
of  the  Bombardier's  waist-line,  I  can  assure  my  readers  that  only  once  in 
my  life  have  I  seen  a  man  with  stronger  or  more  beautiful  muscles  round  the 
waist. 

I  examined  him,  let  him  breathe  fully,  etc.  I  saw  he  could  brace  his 
abdominal  muscles  untU  they  were  as  hard  as  steel,  but  I  also  saw  that  he  was 
holding  his  breath  while  doing  so.  Here  was  the  Bombardier's  weak  point, 
then;  he  admitted  that  he  was  soon  out  of  breath  if  he  braced  these  muscles 
while  in-fighting,  and  he  also  admitted  that  they  had  been  quite  relaxed 
when  he  received  Carpentier's  body  blows.  I  then  explained  to  him  the 
method  of  regular  breathing  with  braced  waist-mtiscles,  and  the  best  way 
of  learning  and  practising  it.  I  told  him  how  to  perform  certain  movements 
of  "My  System"  in  an  extra  severe  degree,  above  all.  Exercise  No.  6,  with 
very  slow  leg-circhng,  and  with  heavy  boots  or  weights  on  the  feet.  This 
exercise  especially  strengthens  the  muscles  guarding  the  solar  plexus,  and, 
when  combined  with  the  prescribed  deep  breathing,  it  produces  the  abihty 
of  respiring  during  fixation  of  the  lower  ribs  and  contraction  of  the  above- 
mentioned  muscles. 

It  is  interesting  that  it  is  just  this  leg-circhng  exercise  of  mine  that  has 
contributed  so  much  to  the  restoration  of  the  British  Champion's  superi- 
ority. When  the  Swedish  translation  of  "My  System"  appeared  some 
eight  years  ago,  it  was  severely  criticised,  and  I  was  called  a  charlatan  and 
an  ignoramus  by  the  representatives  of  the  Swedish  gymnastics.  Above 
all,  the  principal  of  the  Central  Institute  in  Stockholm,  Professor  L.  Torn- 
green,  wrote  long  condemnatory  articles  in  certain  papers.  It  was  my  Ex- 
ercise No.  6,  especially,  which  he  declared  ought  to  be  entirely  rejected, 
because  it  was  a  physical  impossibihty  to  breathe  during  its  performance! 
Which  affords  a  good  example  of  how  conceited  certain  public  authorities 
are,  and  how  stupid,  even  when  dealing  with  their  own  special  subjects. 

I  also  showed  Wells  another  good  exercise  for  practising  this  method 
of  breathing  with  ribs  fixed  and  the  abdominal  wall  braced.  Lying  upon 
my  back  on  the  floor,  I  let  him  stand  upon  my  "stomach"  for  a  rather  long 
time  whilst  I  continued  the  regular  respiration.  And  I  further  explained 
to  him  how  it  was  possible  to  sit  in  a  chair,  or  in  a  railway  compartment, 
and  practise  this  combined  clavicular  and  diaphragmatic  breathing  during 


85 

voluntary  contraction.  It  should  be  done  for  two  or  three  minutes  at  a 
time  by  the  watch.  Finally,  I  recommended  him,  after  some  practice,  to 
let  his  sparring  partners  use  his  stomach  as  a  punching-baU.  I  think  he 
had  regained  a  good  deal  of  self-confidence  by  the  time  he  left  me. 

Several  of  these  hints  will  also  be  useful  for  wrestlers,  more  for  Grasco- 
Roman  than  for  Catch-as-catch-can  exponents;  but  most  of  all  for  Cumber- 
land and  Westmoreland  wrestlers,  who  are  forced  to  stay  at  close  quarters 
for  long  periods,  often  with  several  muscles  of  the  body  contracted. 


For    Swimmers* 

Most  other  sports  and  games  can  be  performed,  even  records  be  beaten, 
without  special  attention  being  paid  to  correct  breathing.  The  harm  done 
to  the  heart  may  only  be  detected  some  long  time  after  the  "records"  have 
been  declared  and  pubHshed.  But  in  swimming  it  is  quite  another  matter. 
It  is  quite  impossible  for  a  swimmer  to  do  anything  until  he  has  learnt  a 
convenient  method  of  breathing.  It  is  really  a  part  of  the  game  itself, 
which  necessarily  must  be  studied  as  early  as  the  movements  of  the  limbs. 
It  follows  that  every  expert  swimmer  knows  how  to  breathe  when  in  the 
water,  and  my  hints  on  this  special  subject  wiU  thus  be  only  of  use  to  be- 
ginners. In  all  styles  air  is  inhaled  quickly  through  the  mouth,  and  ex- 
haled slowly  through  the  nose  under  the  surface  of  the  water.  Mouth 
breathing  is,  perhaps,  not  so  harmful  as  on  shore,  because  of  the  absence  of 
dust;  but,  in  a  London  swimming  bath,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
air  is  apt  to  be  foul,  which  makes  it  the  more  necessary  that  when  not  in  the 
water  swimmers  should  acquire  the  habit  of  the  more  hygienic  nasal  breath- 
ing. 

Beginners  often  feel  out  of  breath,  although  they  think  they  have  kept 
the  mouth  wide  open.  They  should  endeavour  to  open  the  mouth  as  wide 
as  they  comfortably  can,  or  even  a  little  more,  in  order  to  get  sufficient  air. 
It  is  also  a  common  error  to  raise  the  head,  or  to  bend  it  sideways,  in  order 
to  keep  the  mouth  clear  of  the  water.  It  should  only  be  turned,  the  neck 
being  twisted.  If  a  swimmer  doing  the  breast-stroke  bends  his  head  back- 
wards to  inhale,  or  when  doing  the  side  or  overarm-stroke,  he  lies  on  his 
right  side  and  bends  his  head  to  the  left,  thereby  raising  it  above  the  sur- 
face, his  legs  will  immediately  sink  and  the  pace  suffer.  In  the  crawl  it  is, 
of  course,  still  more  important  not  to  raise  the  head,  because  the  very  prin- 
ciple of  this  stroke  is  to  keep  the  feet  above  the  water,  acting  against  the 
surface. 

Swimming  under  water  should  only  be  performed  by  strong  and  well- 
trained  individuals,  because  it  is  an  enormous  strain  upon  the  heart  and 
lungs.  Just  before  plunging,  the  lungs  should  be  filled  by  a  full  breath  after 
my  method,  and  the  air  is  only  gradually  exhaled  in  small  quantities  at  a 
time  while  swimming. 


86 

For  Oarsmen  and  Sctiflcrs. 

Some  readers  will  deem  it  strange  that  I  draw  a  comparison  between 
two  such  apparently  dissimilar  sports  as  rowing  and  speed-skating.  But 
in  some  points  both  of  them  are  specially  healthy  forms  of  exercise,  because 
they  are  ordinarily  performed  in  fresh,  open  air,  and  because  it  comes  quite 
naturally  to  breathe  regularly  and  deeply  during  the  performance.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that  the  time  of  the  movements  in  rowing  and  in  speed- 
skatiQg  is  not  only  generally  regular,  but  also  of  about  the  same  length;  that 
is,  the  double  movement  of  a  rowing-stroke  (the  pulling  and  the  feather- 
ing) wiU,  in  most  cases,  last  just  as  long  as  two  strides  (one  with  each  leg) 
on  the  skates.  And  both  the  complete  rowing-stroke  and  the  double 
skating-stride  will,  again,  last  just  as  long  as  an  ordinary  complete  respira- 
tion (consisting  of  inhalation  and  exhalation).  Furthermore,  if  the  time 
of  the  movements  is  accelerated,  the  harder  work  of  the  greater  speed  will 
naturally  require  an  exactly  corresponding  increase  in  the  measure  of  the 
respiration,  because  more  air  is  needed.  I  think  it  is  impossible  to  name  a 
third  sport  or  game  in  which  the  movements  correspond  so  precisely  with  a 
convenient  breath.  In  all  other  cases  the  movements  are  either  much 
quicker  or  much  slower,  or  quite  irregular. 

Another  resemblance  is  in  the  work  of  the  legs:  a  sudden  and  ener- 
getic pushing  away  of  the  body's  weight,  using  the  whole  flat  of  the  foot  as 
basis.  Certainly,  in  the  one  case,  only  one  leg  is  used  at  a  time,  in  the  other, 
both  legs  simultaneously.  But  it  is  a  fact  that  muscles  well  trained  in  one 
of  these  sports  are  highly  useful  for  the  other.  Further,  the  big  back 
muscles  (latissimus  dorsi  and  erector  spinae)  are  very  much  used  in  rowing 
and  in  speed-skating.  The  lower  part  of  the  back  is  generally  the  only 
point  where  beginners  in  both  sports  suffer  from  swollen  and  sore  muscles. 
But  the  consequence  is  that  back-muscles  well  trained  by  rowing  will  much 
more  easUy  stand  the  strain  of  speed-skating,  and  vice  versa. 

I  have  raced  in  all  sorts  of  boats  for  over  twenty-eight  years.  For 
more  than  ten  years  I  stroked  the  Scandinavian  Champion  Fours.  I  am 
sure  the  main  reason  for  our  continual  success  was  that  I  had  taught  my 
crew  how  to  breathe  while  rowing.  And,  every  time  we  were  lying  in  wait 
for  the  signal  to  start,  the  last  thing  I  asked  my  comrades  to  remember  was 
to  breathe  deeply  both  then  and  also  during  the  first  strokes.  I  presume 
that  our  competitors  must  have  held  their  breath  from  sheer  nervousness 
during  the  first  five  or  six  strokes,  with  the  result  that,  before  half  a  minute 
had  passed,  they  were  out  of  breath,  and  could  not  recover  it  for  a  few  min- 
utes, by  which  time  we  had  usually  got  ahead  by  one  or  two  clear  lengths. 
Besides  which  I  made  another  rule,  in  order  to  be  sure  that  both  lungs  and 
heart  were  in  good  working  order  just  at  the  moment  of  starting.  While 
our  competitors  were  always  very  careful  to  economise  their  strength  by 
paddling  out  to  the  starting  post,  I  used  to  set  a  rather  quick  stroke,  put- 
ting a  little  more  than  half  power  into  it.  And  I  always  went  a  few  hundred 
yards  past  the  starting-post  before  I  turned;   and  we  then  made  one  or,  if 


^1 


90 

the  first  failed,  two  starts  in  the  direction  of  the  course.  Then  we  rested 
awhile,  preparing  ourselves  and  applying  resin  to  the  pahns  of  our  hands. 
I  was  careful  that  this  rest  should  not  last  so  long  as  to  deprive  our  bodies  of 
the  warmth  and  our  lungs  of  the  elasticity  gained  by  the  smart  row  to  the 
starting-post.  If  we  were  a  little  too  early,  I  would,  therefore,  make  one 
more  start,  only  five  strokes,  of  course.  These  preliminary  short  starts  be- 
fore the  real  one,  and  under  the  very  same  conditions  of  wind  or  stream,  are 
very  useful.  I  think  most  rowing  athletes  have  experienced  that,  when 
practising  starts,  the  second  or  the  third  will  always  be  much  more  success- 
ful than  the  first.  I  have  only  once  started  as  member  of  a  crew  of  Enghsh- 
men.  It  w^as  in  a  match  for  scratch  eights  on  Boxing-day,  igi2.  We 
paddled  up  against  a  very  hard  stream,  and  had  to  race  back  with  the 
stream.  I,  therefore,  recommended  our  stroke,  an  old  Diamond  Sculls 
winner,  to  make  a  trial  start  with  the  stream.  I  think  it  would  have  proved 
useful,  especially  for  people  who  had  never  before  rowed  together.  But  he 
did  not  do  this,  so  I  suppose  it  is  not  the  custom  here  in  England. 

Now,  as  to  combining  the  time  of  the  stroke  with  the  measure  of  res- 
piration, I  make  it  a  general  rule  that  only  one  complete  respiration  should 
be  taken  during' a  complete  stroke  (puU  and  recovery),  when  the  time  is 
slow  and  no  great  exertion  employed,  and  also  when  the  time  is  very  quick; 
whereas  two  respirations  may  be  taken  when  full  force  is  used  without  the 
stroke  being  quick.  The  reason  is  that  the  requisite  amount  of  air  depends 
more  on  the  force  applied  than  on  the  rate  of  strokes.  If  a  quick  stroke 
lacks  energy  it  will  not  give  so  much  speed  nor  cost  so  much  effort  as  a  slow 
stroke  with  a  more  energetic  puU.  What,  in  this  connection,  should  be 
deemed  a  "quick"  or  "slow"  stroke  depends,  of  course,  a  good  deal  on  the 
kind  of  boat.  For  instance,  in  a  sculling  "best  boat"  a  time  of  less  than  24 
may  be  reckoned  as  slow,  in  a  "four"  the  limit  would  be  rather  about  28, 
and  in  an  eight  as  much  as  30  or  32. 

Then  there  is  the  question  of  when  to  inhale  during  the  stroke.  The 
main  principle  should  be  to  perform  inhalation  when  the  trunk  swings  back- 
wards, and  exhalation  w^hen  it  bends  to  the  front.  Some  special  styles 
necessitate  small  deviations,  but  the  principle  is  generally  correct.  The 
reason  is  that  a  free  position  in  the  backward  swing  favours  the  abdominal 
part  of  the  full  inhalation;  while  the  bent  or  even  crouched  position  in  the 
fonvard  swing  favours  the  corresponding  part  of  the  exhalation.  I  must 
admit  that  I  have  both  seen  and  heard  the  exactly  opposite  method  recom- 
mended. As  an  argument,  it  w'as  propounded  that  the  hard  water  work 
was  performed  during  the  backward  swing,  hence  it  was  wrong  to  inhale 
simultaneously.  It  was  much  better  to  do  it  during  the  easy  work  of 
feathering!  Of  course,  I  do  not  agree  to  this,  but  I  know  very  well  how 
this  misunderstanding  arose:  I  have  met  scores  of  athletes  and  sportsmen 
who  paid  attention  only  to  inhalation,  scarcely  realising  the  existence  of 
exhalation,  which  in  reality  represents — or  ought  to  do — quite  as  great 
amount  of  physical  work  as  inhalation.  The  above-mentioned  simple  rule 
of  the  distribution  of  breath  in  the  stroke  is  illustrated  in  Fig.  49  and  by  the 


91 

curve  A  in  Fig.  54.  It  should  be  applied  in  light  rowing  gigs  and  outriggers 
(pair-oars,  foujs  and  eights),  always  when  the  rate  of  stroke  is  quick,  and 
also  when  paddling  at  a  slow  pace.  But  if,  in  these  boats,  a  hard  pull  is 
combined  with  a  slow  stroke,  an  extra  inhalation  should  be  taken  in  the 


_._,  ^HAL  AT /O/V. --—  >'— ^^_-. 


~->  N 


FlG=  49. 


//^fiALAT/Or\f 


--^. 


xz 


Fig.  50. 


Fig.  si. 

middle  of  the  quiet  recovery,  while,  of  course,  an  ordinary  inhalation  is 
taken  during  the  short  vigorous  stroke  (see  Fig.  50  and  curve  B  of  Fig.  54) . 
In  very  heavy  rowing  gigs,  and  in  ordinary  broad  scuUing  skiffs  with 
fixed  seats,  it  is  also  recommended  to  take  two  respirations  per  stroke  if  full 
speed  is  wanted.  But  here  the  extra  inhalation  should  be  taken  during  the 
pull,  because  this  is,  by  necessity,  long  and  rather  slow,  whUe  the  recovery 


92 


is  quick  (see  Fig.  51  and  Curve  C  of  Fig.  54).  Still  other  modifications  are 
useful  in  sculling  "best  boats"  when  the  modem  style  is  apphed  (as  taught 
by  the  best  Enghsh  professionals,  Ernest  Barry,  \V.  G.  East,  Bossie  Phelps, 
Bert  Lee,  Albany,  and  others).  Fig.  52  and  curve  D  of  Fig.  54  show  the 
best  way  of  respiring  during  a  quick  stroke  with  hard  pulling,  and  always 
when  paddhng.  As  wiU  be  seen,  here  again,  as  in  Fig.  49  (and  curve  A), we 
have  only  one  complete  respiration  to  one  stroke  with  its  recovery,  but  the 
chstribution  is  different,  owing  to  the  special  style — of  which  the  most  con- 


lyr 


^^_- 


Fig.  53. 


spicuous  features  are  that  the  legs  are  fully  straightened  before  the  trunk  is 
swung  back,  and  that,  when  feathering,  the  hands,  arms  and  trunk  are  suc- 
cessively swung  forw-ards  before  the  seat  is  moved  and  the  legs  folded.  (As 
the  matter  stands,  I  wiU  not  here  give  further  practical  details  of  this  style, 
nor  theoretical  arguments  for  its  superiority,  because  I  am  not  writing  a 
booklet  about  scuUing,  but  on  breathing.)  Fig.  53  and  curve  E  show  the 
most  correct  manner  of  taking  two  breaths  per  stroke  when  this  sculling 
style  is  combined  with  a  slow  rate  of  stroke,  but  with  full  force.  The  next 
best  method — and  much  easier  to  learn — would  here  be  to  take  one  com- 
plete breath  during  the  puUing  and  one  during  the  feathering  (see  curve  F 
of  Fig.  54).  AH  these  directions  seem,  perhaps,  somewhat  circumstantial. 
But  I  assure  you  that  each  method  is  acquired  with  a  week's  practice,  and 


93 

PULL  IN  WATER      Arrows  pointing  upwards — Inhalation. 
FEATHERING  "  "  downwards — Exhalation. 


Cur\^e  B. 


Curve  C. 


Curve  F. 
Fig.  54. 


94 

afterwards  performed  quite  subconsciously.  And  please  remember  that  a 
regular,  correct  respiration  signifies  less  waste  of  energy  and,  therefore, 
greater  stamina. 

The  air  should,  of  course,  as  far  as  possible  be  drawn  through  the  nose 
alone.  The  Albar  apparatus  may  be  of  good  use,  if  not  so  serviceable  as  in 
long-distance  running,  because,  when  the  hands  are  engaged  with  the  oar 
or  sculls,  it  is  not  easy  to  refix  the  apparatus  should  it  get  out  of  position, 
which  occasionally  happens. 


CHAPTER  II. 
HINTS  FOR  SINGERS  AND  SPEAKERS* 

Singing  and  speaking  are  in  a  great  measure  physical  work.  It  is, 
therefore,  obvious  that  the  sounder  and  better  developed  the  physique  is, 
the  more  advantageous  will  be  the  conditions  for  good  singing  and  speak- 
ing. And  it  is  a  matter  of  course  that  it  is  the  strength  and  endurance  of  the 
organs  directly  engaged  during  singing  and  speaking  which  is  of  the  greatest 
importance.  Now,  the  air  exhaled  from  the  lungs  being  the  productive 
agent  of  the  voice,  it  is  clear  that  the  lungs  ought  to  be  well-developed  be- 
fore singing  is  attempted.  And  the  abdominal  muscles  being  the  most 
important  factor  in  controlling  exhalation,  and  therewith  the  voice,  aU 
vocalists  ought  particularly  to  develop  the  strength,  endurance  and  mo- 
bility of  these  muscles.  It  is  no  wonder  that  most  singing  masters  on  the 
Continent  recommend — some  masters  even  exact — that  their  pupils  should 
perform  "My  System"  (15  Minutes'  Daily  Exercise),  because  they  know 
by  experience  that  it  is  the  best  existing  means  of  strengthening  the  ab- 
dominal muscles.  The  exhaled  air,  controlled  by  strong  and  braced  ab- 
dominal muscles,  can  then  be  utilised  at  will  for  the  sustaining  of  a  very  pro- 
longed note,  which  can  be  kept  at  the  same  level  of  pitch  and  tone,  or  made 
to  swell  or  diminish  according  to  requirements. 

The  lungs  are  also  highly  developed  by  "My  System,"  and  especially 
by  the  "Breathing  System "  explained  in  the  present  booklet.  AU  would-be 
singers  and  speakers  ought,  therefore,  to  practice  it.  My  methods  will  be 
found  invaluable  from  the  point  of  view  of  increasing  the  range  of  extensi- 
biUty  of  the  muscles  of  inspiration,  thus  rendering  the  chest  more  flexible. 
The  vital  capacity  does  not  depend  upon  the  size  of  the  chest,  but  upon  the 
mobiUty  of  the  chest  walls  and  the  elasticity  of  the  lungs,  which  are  greatly 
increased  by  my  free  and  breathing  exercises,  and  also  by  good  sports  (such 
as  rowing) ,  when  performed  with  strict  attention  to  proper  breathing.  It  is 
the  difference  between  the  circumference  of  the  chest  after  a  full  inspira- 
tion and  after  a  deep  exhalation  which  tells.  I  have  met  some  of  the 
"strongest"  weight-hfters  in  the  world,  who  have  yet  died  when  about 
forty  years  of  age.  They  had  a  chest  measurement  of  about  50  inches,  but 
an  expansion  of  only  ^  or  i  inch,  whereas  several  famous  singers  or  first- 
class  rowing  men  could  show  an  expansion  of  10  inches,  even  if  their  great- 
est chest  circumference  be  only  45  inches. 

I  have  perused  scores  of  English  and  German  manuals  on  "The  Art  of 
Breathing  for  Voice  Production,"  or  under  similar  titles.  One  advocated 
special  abdominal  breathing;  another  only  clavicular  breathing;  a  third, 
a  lateral  costal  method;  a  fourth,  respiration  with  the  back;  a  fifth,  a 
hysterical  female  singing  teacher,  recommends  deep  sighs!  and  so  on.    All 


o  s 


a  -= 

fS  ^ 


97 

of  which  is  nonsensical,  and  must  have  done  a  great  amount  of  harm,  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  by  preventing  students  from  learning  a  good  method. 
Even  the  London  County  Council's  "Syllabus  of  Graduated  Instruction 
in  Singing"  is  full  of  errors.  Strange  to  tell,  the  only  commonsense  hints 
I  ever  read  about  this  matter  are  those  given  by  a  clergyman,  namely,  the 
Rev.  Chas.  Gib,^  principal  of  the  institute  for  teaching  the  "Gib  System 
of  Vocal  Training  and  Expression,"  lo,  Hugh  Street,  Eccleston  Square, 
S.  W. 

It  is  obvious  that,  the  more  thoroughly  the  lungs,  to  begin  with,  are 
filled  with  air,  the  greater  the  potential  productive  power  of  the  voice  will  be, 
and  the  longer  and  stronger  the  note  produced.  The  best  way  of  inhahng 
while  singing  is  that  prescribed  in  "my  complete  breath,"  with  the  excep- 
tion that  it  must  always  be  performed  quickly  and  through  the  mouth,  and, 
further,  it  is,  of  course,  not  always  possible  to  rest  the  hands  on  the  hips 
(which  position  makes  the  raising  of  shoulders  and  upper  chest  easier). 
The  reason  why  the  fuU  breath  must  here  be  inhaled  through  the  mouth  is 
not  only  that  it  can  thus  be  performed  very  quickly,  which  is  often  neces- 
sary, but  it  is  really  a  mistake  to  inhale  through  the  nose  whilst  singing,  be- 
cause the  back  of  the  tongue  will  then  rise  and  partly  close  the  throat,  and 
the  note  produced  will  take  a  nasal  twang. 

Exhalation,  on  the  other  hand,  is,  of  course,  performed  quite  other- 
wise than  in  "my  complete  breath. "  The  elastic  force  of  the  expanded  and 
elevated  chest  should  be  held  in  check  by  the  contracted,  or  rather  braced, 
abdominal  muscles.  Certainly  it  is  impossible  to  prevent  the  ribs  from 
sinking  somewhat  at  the  moment  when  the  abdominal  muscles  are  con- 
tracted. But  after  this  the  chest  should  be  allowed  to  sink  only  gradually, 
and  the  volume  of  air  in  the  lungs  can  thus  be  controlled  at  will  by  the 
momentary  relaxation  of  the  abdominal  muscles,  and  can  be  emitted  qiiickly 
or  slowly,  forcibly  or  gently.  Fig.  55  gives  a  front  view  and  Fig.  56  a  side 
view  of  the  right  pose  immediately  after  completed  inhalation.  The  ab- 
dominal wall  is  very  slightly  retracted,  the  muscles  being  only  braced,  not 
drawn  inwards,  and  the  lower  ribs  fixed.  I  will  take  this  opportunity  of 
pointing  out  that  "drawing  in"  and  "bracing"  of  the  abdominal  wall  are 
two  quite  different  things.  This  wall  may  be  voluntarily  either  relaxed  or 
braced  in  any  position  between  the  fully  distended  and  the  completely  re- 
tracted. 

It  is,  of  course,  important  not  to  let  the  air  escape  all  at  once.  If  the 
air  is  to  be  economised,  compression  must  be  continuous,  and,  until  the 
student  has  learnt  how  to  do  this  automatically,  he  will  never  become  a  good 
singer  or  speaker. 

This  method  was  used  by  the  old  Itahan  singing  masters  for  more  than 
150  years.  But  in  1855  it  was  rejected  by  the  French  author,  Mandl,  who, 
in  England,  was  followed  by  Lennox,  Browne  and  Behnke.  Mandl  recom- 
mended the  abdominal  method  of  breathing,  in  that  he  maintained  that  the 

'  Author  of  "Vocal  Science  and  Art,"  and  "The  Art  of  Vocal  Expression." — William  Reeves, 
London,  W.C. 

7 


96 

distending  of  the  abdomen  wovdd  facilitate  the  "flattening"  of  the  dia- 
phragm and  thereby  increase  the  capacity  of  the  lungs. 

After  all,  I  am  sure  that  the  old  Itahans  were  right,  only  their  method 
has  been  misunderstood.  I  do  not  think  that  they  advocated  contraction 
of  the  abdominal  waU  during  inhalation.  It  is  more  hkely  than  not  that 
they  ad\dsed  contraction  only  immediately  after  inhalation.  Personal  prac- 
tice wih  show  to  anyone  that  it  is  quite  possible  to  brace  the  abdominal 
muscles  after  a  complete  inhalation,  letting  the  ribs  sink  a  little,  and  even 
to  retract  the  abdominal  wall  considerably  -s^-ithout  letting  the  sUghtest 
amount  of  air  escape.  It  will  only  be  compressed,  but  that  is  just  what  is 
necessary  for  the  production  of  a  good  note — that  the  pressure  of  the  inside 
air  is  stronger  than  the  atmospherical  pressure.  When  the  right  moment 
arrives,  the  glottis  opens,  and  the  sound  produced  is  louder  on  account  of 
the  greater  density  of  the  air,  owing  to  its  compression. 

It  is  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  importance  of  attacking  the  vowel 
sounds  easily  and  accurately.     This  is  best  accomplished  when: — 

(i)  The  glottis  is  first  quietly,  not  tightly,  closed,  so  that  no  air  can 
escape.     Hence  air  is  not  wasted,  but  converted  into  sound. 

(2)  The  air  is  compressed  below  the  vocal  cords. 

This  compression  of  the  air  gives  volmne  and  intensity  to  the  voice. 
Compression  means  economy  and  control  of  breath. 

Students  -nill  do  well  to  remember  that  this  volume,  intensity,  economy 
and  control  are  not  obtained  if  the  vocal  cords  approximate  when  inspira- 
tion has  already  begun;  for  this  attack,  to  use  the  current  expression,  "on 
the  breath, "  means  vocalising  on  a  colimin  of  improperly  compressed  air. 

(3)  WTien  the  vibrations  are  to  be  begun  the  muscles  should  be  re- 
laxed to  the  requisite  degree;  this  is  a  point  that  needs  carefully  thinking 
out  and  appl>'ing. 

(4)  At  the  critical  moment  the  vocal  cords  are  gently  parted  asunder, 
and  the  air  is  released.  In  this  way  a  "neat  articvilation  of  the  glottis"  can 
be  acquired,  that  gives  a  precise  and  clean  start  to  a  sound,  and  enables  a 
singer,  as  ^Manuel  Garcia  put  it,  "to  pitch  the  sound  at  once  on  the  note 
itself,  and  not  to  slur  up  to  it  or  feel  for  it." 

All  singers  and  speakers  who  desire  to  be  heard  at  a  distance  should 
employ  this  method  of  attack. 

No  cough  or  straining  is  excited,  and  no  jerking  with  the  abdominal 
muscles  must  be  permitted. 

Perfection  in  this  most  important  and  fundamental  exercise  is  attained 
when  it  can  be  performed  with  the  most  gentle  and  dehcate  precision,  in 
fact,  when  the  attack  is  produced  automatically. 

On  January  15th,  1910,  a  conference  was  held  at  the  University  of 
London,  and  a  sub-committee  was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  present- 
day  knowledge  of  the  voice  and  speech  training,  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
scientific  basis  upon  which  speech  training  should  be  conducted,  and  what 
agreement  exists  in  first  principles. 

The  sub-committee  undertook  to  investigate  normal  healthy  breathing 


99 

in  relation  to  speech.  With  consent  of  Dr.  Pasteur,  who  acted  as  chairman 
on  the  sub-committee,  the  report  is  pubKshed  in  the  British  Medical  Journal 
of  August  30th;  the  reason  given  for  its  publication  being  its  likelihood  to 
be  of  interest  to  medical  men,  teachers,  and  other  persons. 

The  committee  appear  to  have  taken  great  pains  to  describe  ideal 
breathing  for  the  voice;  and  add  that  such  ideal  breathing  should  bring 
every  part  of  the  limgs  into  activity. 

But,  unfortunately,  the  method  of  breathing  advocated  by  the  com- 
mittee makes  it  a  physical  impossibility  to  bring  every  part  of  the  lungs  into 
acti\'ity. 

For,  if  there  is  to  be  a  full  inflation  of  the  lungs,  the  chest  must  be  fully 
expanded  in  its  three  diameters;  but  if  there  is  to  be — as  the  committee 
suggest — "the  hardening  of  the  abdominal  walls  which  checks  the  outward 
bulging,"  it  is  impossible  to  expand  the  lower  ribs.  There  must  be  no 
"check,"  no  "hardening  nor  any  dra-^dng  inwards  of  the  abdominal  wall," 
if  the  lungs  are  to  be  inflated  at  their  bases,  which  is  most  important,  as 
the  lungs  are  broadest  here.  The  correct  method  of  breathing  when  the 
best  vocal  eft"ects  are  desired,  to  say  nothing  about  healthy  breathing,  is  the 
concerted  and  harmonious  action  of  all,  and  not  part,  of  the  respiratory 
mechanism. 

It  is  admitted  on  all  sides  that  consiimption  is  associated  with  all  forms 
of  poor  breathing,  and  it  is  a  terrible  thing  to  contemplate  that  inadequate 
methods  of  breathing  are  daily  being  taught  in  our  schools;  and  especially 
so  when  one  generation  of  correct  breathers  would  reduce  consumption  to  a 
minimimi. 

It  wearies  and  sickens  one  to  think  that  the  great  masses  of  humanity 
are  cut  off,  in  early  childhood  and  ripe  manhood,  by  a  disease  which  can  be 
minimised  if  the  whole  mechanism  of  respiration  were  employed.  Close 
observation  and  long  experience  have  proved  to  me  that  the  majority  of 
my  feUow-men  breathe  superficially. 

Just  in  order  to  counter-balance  the  eventual  damage  caused  by  mouth- 
breathing  during  singing,  it  is  for  vocaKsts  of  the  highest  importance  that 
they  acquire  the  habit  of  exclusive  nasal  breathing  during  physical  exercises, 
and  always  in  daily  life  when  they  are  not  cultivating  their  talent. 

Finally,  I  think  it  would  be  beneficial  to  say  something  about  damaged 
voices,  their  restoration  and  development. 

^Medical  authorities  are  constantly  teUing  us  that  many  throat  troubles 
are  due  rather  to  improper  production  of  the  voice  than  to  actual  over-use 
of  the  vocal  organs.  This  statement  is  fully  substantiated  by  damaged 
voices  heard  in  pulpits,  at  the  Bar,  on  the  stage,  on  concert  and  speaking 
platforms,  and  amongst  choristers. 

I  may  also  mention  the  cases  of  Mr.  Lloyd  George  and  Sir  Edward 
Carson,  both  of  whom  at  the  time  of  writing  have  had  to  retire  from  their 
political  duties  to  rest  their  injured  voices.  But  perhaps  my  readers  wiU 
not  thank  me  for  advising  them  as  to  the  proper  care  of  their  vocal  organs; 
there  are  many  who  are  of  opinion  that  we  hear  enough  of  politicians  as  it  is, 


lOO 

and  that  to  be  the  means  of  helping  them  to  give  even  greater  performances 
of  oratorical  effort  will  be  to  inflict  injury  on  a  long-suffering  pubHc. 

The  usual  treatment  prescribed  for  the  damaged  voice  is  rest,  which  re- 
sults only  in  temporary  improvement.  The  real  remedy  is  the  restoration 
and  development  of  the  fundamental  conditions  of  voice,  namely,  the  sym- 
pathetic co-ordination  of  breathing  with  a  simultaneous  passivity  and  open- 
ing of  the  throat.  The  presence  of  these  conditions  means  ease  and  natural- 
ness; the  absence  of  them,  constriction.  The  mastery  of  this  fundamental 
co-ordination  must  be  the  first  step  towards  the  restoration  of  the  voice, 
"Nasal  twang,"  " throatiness, "  the  vicious  vibrato,  can  only  be  eradicated 
by  sympathetic  relaxation  of  the  tone  passage,  co-ordinated  by  breath  con- 
trol. We  must  all  admit  that  the  human  voice  is  not  a  machine,  but  forms 
part  of  our  own  organism.  Man  is  a  trinity,  and  the  true  method  of  re- 
storing and  developing  the  voice  recognises  this  triple  unity.  For  it  can- 
not be  denied  that  our  voices  are  dependent  on  the  body,  and  that  body  and 
the  voice  depend  upon  the  actions  of  the  mind.  Any  attempt  to  restore 
the  damaged  voice  on  a  purely  physiological  basis  is  to  court  failure;  the 
most  technical  exercise  should  be  made  as  psychical  as  possible;  and  in 
singing  vocal  exercises  the  faculty  of  imagination  and  feeling  should  be 
aroused.  It  is  never  wise  to  draw  too  much  attention  to  fatdts,  this  tends 
to  deepen  self-consciousness,  and  delay  the  restoration  of  normal  conditions. 
In  the  case  of  singers  who  have  "breaks"  in  their  voices,  as  well  as  with 
those  who  suffer  from  impediments  of  speech,  it  is  weU,  by  suggestion,  to 
take  the  mind  away  from  the  seat  of  the  trouble. 


Damaged  Voices* 

The  Rev.  Chas.  Gib  has  for  years  been  making  observations  of  voices 
damaged  by  misuse.  Let  me  quote  a  few  Hues  from  a  lecture  given  re- 
cently by  him : — 

"Every  kind  of  damaged  voice  has  come  under  my  notice.  'Minis- 
terial Tunes,'  robed  in  mediaeval  darkness.  'Neurotic  breaks,'  'vibrato,' 
common  as  pebbles  on  the  seashore,  stammerers  and  stutterers,  and  a  host 
of  others  which  it  would  not  be  right  to  mention.  In  addition  to  this,  I 
have  been  much  helped  by  going  unperverted  to  Nature  and  to  the  training 
of  boys'  voices,  and  also  studying  the  boy's  voice  and  developing  it  during 
the  transition  period.  It  is  this  latter  study  that  enables  the  student  to  ob- 
serve how  the  voice  buds  and  then  blossoms.  No  one  with  a  damaged  voice 
should  attempt  to  improve  his  voice,  be  he  speaker,  singer,  or  stammerer, 
unless  he  has  first  learnt  the  art  of  relaxation,  coupled  with  correct  breathing. 
It  may  be  well  briefly  to  state  the  reasons  why  considerable  stress  should  be 
laid  upon  this  unique  preliminary  to  voice  production. 

"Every  grown-up  person  is  more  or  less  highly  tensed,  and,  in  cases 
where  voices  have  gone  wrong,  physical  as  well  as  mental  tension  is  very 
marked. 


"Speaking  of  our  muscular  system,  our  muscles  are  often  strung  to  a 
higher  pitch  than  is  necessary  to  accomplish  their  work. 

"For  the  easy  emission  of  the  voice  it  is  not  only  unnecessary,  but  actu- 
ally defeats  the  object  in  view,  when  not  only  the  muscles  of  the  larynx,  but 
all  the  rest  of  the  muscles  in  the  body  are  rigid  and  overdeveloped. 

"The  object  of  practising  muscular  relaxation  is  to  get  rid  of  excess 
of  tension,  which  is  a  hindrance  to  correct  breathing,  and  hence  to  voice 
emission,  so  as  to  place  the  whole  mind  and  body  in  such  a  passive  condi- 
tion that  the  pupil  is  at  once  fully  receptive  to  outside  impressions,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  capable  in  the  highest  degree  of  responding  even  to  con- 
siderable and  lengthy  demands  upon  his  vocal  mechanism  without  undue 
fatigue." 

ConcItJsion» 

I  have  come  regretfully  to  this  paragraph,  because  there  is  so  much 
on  this  all-important  subject  of  breathing  that  I  have  been  compelled  to 
leave  unsaid.  Correct  breathing  is  as  necessary  to  promote  and  preserve 
good  health  as  is  proper  attention  to  diet  and  to  exercise.  I  am  incUned  to 
urge  that  it  is  even  more  necessary,  for  the  evUs  of  improper  diet  are  not  so 
far-reaching  in  results  as  those  of  incorrect  breathing.  As  I  have  already 
pointed  out  in  my  first  chapter,  we  may  go  without  food  for  days  and  thrive, 
but  the  aeration  of  the  blood  is  so  essential  to  life  that  if  stopped  entirely 
for  but  a  few  minutes,  death  is  the  result.  This  fact  is  obvious,  and  known 
to  all;  but  only  a  few  reaUy  appreciate  the  injurious,  even  fatal,  effects  of 
the  imperfect  aeration  of  the  blood  to  which  so  many  thousands  are  con- 
tinuously exposed,  not  only  those  who  live  in  contaminated  atmospheres  in 
large  cities  and  congested  districts,  but  also  those  who  live  in  the  pure  air 
of  the  countryside,  but  who  do  not  know  how  to  breathe  properly. 

It  is  enough  to  say  that  if  the  vital  fluid — the  blood — be  never  fully 
purified,  it  cannot  carry  out  the  life-preserving  task  which  is  allotted  to  it; 
it  is  itself  impure,  and  instead  of  coming  to  the  rescue  of  the  tissues  in  their 
fight  against  the  germs  of  disease  which  shorten  life,  it  brings  to  these  germs 
nourishment  which  aids  them  to  multiply  and  establish  themselves  in  the 
body  which  in  time  they  must  destroy. 


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rangement with  the  Librarian  in  charge. 

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